Girls Want What?
by ThebigW
Summary: IYxYYH The ceremony is complete, but the real danger now emerges. Will Kurama and Shippo make it back to their friends? In one piece? Rating upgrade for... well, you know... Ch.13 is up.
1. The Battle!

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Inu-Yasha is owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Sunrise.  
  
YuYu Hakusho is owned by Funimation and Studio Pierrot, among others. I make nothing from this work. Thank you for reading it.  
  
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The battle had been raging for hours. Naraku and his minions had attacked unexpectedly just as Kagome was about to jump into the well on her way back to the future. The demon master's miasma, swirling relentlessly due to the talents of the wind sorceress, Kagura, soon had our band of heroes separated from each other and disoriented. Over the howling wind, Inu-Yasha yelled out for Kagome and the others but got no answers. He couldn't risk using the wind-scar for fear of harming one of his friends. Miroku would have risked the poisonous insects and his own health, but didn't use his wind-tunnel to clear out the miasma for the same reason. Sango called for Kilala and they both took to the sky to try to get a better vantage point. Kilala's keen sight picked up a disturbing development and she growled her fear to her mistress.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Sango squinted but couldn't see that Shippo had huddled near the base of the well, frozen in fear. The little fox demon called out to Kagome and the others, but no one heard his bleating. Kilala saw her friend's distress and communicated it to Sango. The demon-exterminator briefly considered that of all her friends, Shippo was the most vulnerable. She took only a second to secure her mask.  
  
"Go Kilala!"  
  
The cat-youkai dove through the thick waves with the kitsune in her sights. Naraku saw them as they entered the miasma, and also what they were after. He silently instructed one of his puppet-golems to retrieve the fox, thinking he could use Shippo somehow as bait should this offensive fail. As the airborne pair drew near, Sango could finally see Shippo at the well, and also that the golem was only a few feet away from the foxlet, and closing in fast. Kilala was flying as fast as she could, but they were not going make it. Sango gripped Hiraikotsu tightly but couldn't risk hurting her little friend. There was only one option left.  
  
Perhaps half-a-dozen things happened simultaneously.  
  
Kagura cast a particularly gusty spell attack against Inu-Yasha that also, as a consequence, blew away most of the miasma, allowing all of the participants to finally see one another.  
  
Kagome, finally seeing Shippo, and aware that he was in danger, strung an arrow in the blink of an eye, charged it with her miko power, and fired it at his attacker.  
  
Sango, never seeing Kagome, dropped Hiraikotsu to the ground mid-flight and drew her katana. She leapt from the speeding Kilala directly at the golem Naraku.  
  
Shippo, seeing his mother on the other side of the well, leapt up and at her with all the strength in his little legs.  
  
At the last second, Sango saw Kagome's arrow approaching. Thanking the gods that she was gifted athletically, she tucked in the air, sheathing her katana, and grabbed the lip of the well with both hands, absorbing the shock with her forearms. Using her momentum, she vaulted away from the golem just as the arrow struck and disintegrated it.  
  
Shippo, flailing through the air, clutched for Kagome, but grabbed her necklace and snapped it as he fell just short. The jewel shards they all had worked so hard for went flying through the air.  
  
In agonizing slow motion, Inu-Yasha, Miroku, Kagura, Miyoga and the rest all watched the vial turn over and over through the air before it landed, shattering against the base of the well.  
  
"I'll get it!"  
  
Shippo yelled out as he wanted to be a help and not a burden to his friends, and he also felt the most responsible for the predicament they were in right now. Kagome, and then Sango, rushed after him to re-gather the shards.  
  
And so did one of Naraku's demons. It was a snake demon, and it slithered right up to the fox, its mouth wide open, ready for its meal.  
  
"Shippo!"  
  
Everyone screamed at once. The little fox had picked up one of the shards and was about to pick up another, when he turned around just in time to see the fangs about to come down upon him. Half of his brain knew his death was upon him and he started to faint. The other half took all of the energy left in his little body and sent it to his legs in one last desperate act of salvation.  
  
He bounded straight up into the air, away from the snake-youkai.  
  
He came tumbling down, unconscious.  
  
Right into the well.  
  
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	2. He's Gone!

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Sango dispatched the snake demon in less than three seconds. Running to the edge of the well, she peered inside, but there was no sign of Shippo at the bottom. She turned to face Kagome, who had just reached her, and grabbed her shoulders before she could look in.  
  
"Sango."  
  
Sango shook her head, sadly.  
  
"He's...gone."  
  
Kagome screamed.  
  
"No!"  
  
Knocking Sango's hands away, she turned to face Naraku, who had a bemused smile on his face at this development. He knew well of the girl's maternal instincts for the orphaned kitsune. She had injured him before, and it had surprised him. Any physical or emotional pain he could cause her before he or his minions killed her would be particularly satisfying.  
  
"This is YOUR fault!"  
  
Her eyes leveled at his, not blinking. Mechanically, almost, she pulled not one, but two arrows from her quiver and drew them into her bow. Sango stepped away as Kagome's miko powers caused first her hands, then the arrows, and finally her body to take on a blue hue.  
  
"Do you think you can harm me like you did the last time, girl?" Naraku almost gloated.  
  
"I have learned my lesson from that time. You will not..."  
  
His words were cut short as the blue light surrounding the miko turned bright white, further fueled by the her anguish. It was almost like looking into the sun, it was so intense.  
  
"Kagome!" Inu-Yasha and Miroku called in unison, as they had by now regrouped with Sango and Kilala. She paid them no attention.  
  
"He was INNOCENT!"  
  
Kagome gritted her teeth, waiting until she saw exactly what she wanted. Naraku's eyes widened and there it was. Fear. The sounds of battle had quieted. There was now almost a deathly silence, broken only by the twang of her bow as she released the arrows. She dropped to her knees in exhaustion. The demon master's minions rushed quickly to his defense, putting themselves in the arrows' path. The twin messengers of death struck, causing a tremendous shock wave of destruction and purification. Inu-Yasha threw himself onto Kagome, shielding her from the reverberations as best he could. Sango and Miroku did likewise behind Kilala, who curled herself into a ball at the time of impact.  
  
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Inu-Yasha surveyed the crater-sized hole in the earth caused by Kagome's final attack.  
  
'Wow, how did she do that?'  
  
There were hundreds of dead and dying demons of all types, and he hopped from one place to the next, but could find no sign of Naraku's body among them. Sango, meanwhile, knelt with a recovering Kagome, while Miroku gathered the remaining jewel fragments. Kagome shakily got to her feet.  
  
"I've got to go. There's a chance..."  
  
"Kagome, are you really up to it? I know this is difficult, but you just defeated Naraku single-handedly. You really should rest now." Sango was obviously concerned for her friend. She cast her eyes down.  
  
"I...I'm sorry. If only I could have reached him in time."  
  
"No Sango. Don't blame yourself. I certainly don't blame you." Kagome hugged her friend, who returned the embrace. The monk approached the women, handing a bound pouch to Kagome.  
  
"Here are all the remaining shards, except for the one Shippo..." He stopped himself before going on any further, as both women were on the verge of tears. He was hentai, but he was still a sensitive man. Inu- Yasha approached them.  
  
"Well, there's no sign of that bastard. I can't believe he could escape that attack. You guys dig Shippo out of the well yet? Knh, what a help HE is during battle. Less than useless, if ya ask me... "  
  
"Inu-Yasha!"  
  
Miroku rushed over to him, blocking him from Kagome's sight with his body. He was most fearful that if, in her current state Kagome "sat" him, the dog- demon could be seriously injured. Grabbing the top of his haori in his fists, the monk whispered the situation to the ignorant hanyou. Inu-Yasha slowly and sheepishly peeked over Miroku's shoulder at the girls, both of whom were fuming.  
  
"Uhh, Kagome, I..."  
  
Kagome glared at him for a moment, then nodded at Miroku before she and Sango cheek-kissed. She then grabbed her sack and hopped over the edge of the well. Inu-Yasha knew she was really angry with him. Looking from Sango to Miroku, he folded his arms and puffed up his chest as he tried to salvage some of his pride.  
  
"Knh, she's acting like it's my fault. I didn't attack the little..." He exhaled as his heart wasn't in it. He too was saddened at the kitsune's disappearance and was hoping Kagome could find him in good health.  
  
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Short Poet: Thanks for your wonderful review. Chapter one in fact was an exercise in writing a battle sequence for me. And your reviews are NOT annoying. Any Kag/Sess fans must read her "Revelation, Realization & Redemption". It's fantastic.  
  
KuroHohana: I'm happy you find it interesting. I hope it gets better when Kagome meets the "new" Shippo next chapter. 


	3. He's a Fox!

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Kagome shook the slightly queasy feeling she got when materializing with a few deep breaths. Her eyes always took a moment or so to adjust to the darkness at the bottom of the well. As she stood to get her bearings, she was shocked at the sound of another voice, a voice she thought she had never heard before.  
  
"Kagome!"  
  
The voice had a slight baritone edge to it. The feeling of not being alone in the well pit caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand on end. Before she could turn around to face its owner, she was tackled to the ground from behind, strong arms wrapping themselves around her. She was momentarily terror-stricken. Was she being assaulted? Who was this person and how did they get into the well? The well-house? For that matter how did...?  
  
Her terror turned to anger as she squirmed around to face her attacker. It was dark and she couldn't see his facial features clearly, but there was something familiar about him that she couldn't place. He was naked, or at least shirtless, so her mind assumed the worst. She was using all her strength to push him off of her, but he clutched her tightly and wouldn't let go. Then she noticed his shoulders quaking and realized she also heard sobs.  
  
He was crying.  
  
This was weird. She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back far enough to glare at him in the darkness.  
  
"Take your hands off of me right now!" She yelled in her most authoritative voice.  
  
"K...Kagome. I'm so scared. Please take me back home. I'm so scared." Strands of his hair fluttered over her face.  
  
"Do I know you? Let go of me NOW!"  
  
She was about to deliver a well-placed kick when the person released her and scooted back to the corner of the well, cowering and shivering. She stood up and brushed off her clothes, never taking her eyes off of him.  
  
"Who are you? How did you get down here! Answer me or you'll be in even more trouble than you already are for trespassing and assault!"  
  
She felt more confident now that she wasn't in danger, but her feelings of angst over Shippo's loss were coming back to her, and this was the last thing she needed to deal with right now, so she was a little pissed-off.  
  
"K..Kagome."  
  
There it was again. Something in the timbre of the voice was very familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She squinted her eyes to try to make out the features.  
  
"Why don't you know me, Kagome. Did I do something wrong? I tried to get the jewel shards but the snake demon... I thought I was going to be snake food and the next thing I knew..."  
  
'Oh my god! It can't be...'  
  
"...I wound up here in this dark place. I smelled your scent and knew it was you the moment you got here. Kagome, why don't you know me anymore? It's me, Shippo."  
  
"No... You... You're not Shippo. This is some kind of trick." Then she became angry again.  
  
"I don't know who you are, but how dare you try to impersonate my little friend. You'd better get your ass out of here before..."  
  
"Foxfire."  
  
Shippo's flame illuminated the bottom of the well slightly so that Kagome could finally get a better look. The face was no longer round and kawaii as she remembered as it was older and more angular now. But the eyes, his eyes. She could never forget Shippo's eyes.  
  
It WAS him. But how?  
  
"Shippo." She almost whispered. "Is it really you?"  
  
"Kagome. Do you recognize me?" He fought his impulse to jump on her again out of relief.  
  
"It's still a bit difficult to see down here. Let's get out of here so I can take a good look at you." Her caution returned and she wanted to be certain.  
  
"O...okay. I, umm, have something for you."  
  
He stood again and approached her cautiously, his arm outstretched. The glint from the low light as well as her own senses told her exactly what it was.  
  
A shard of the Shikon jewel. The one Shippo had when he... when he fell into the well. She reached out and took the shard from him, looking up at him as he was about two or three inches taller than she was. She still was not sure.  
  
"I'll go up first."  
  
She turned to climb the rungs out of the well, feeling a slight shiver down her spine as she felt his eyes on her. When she made it to the top, she peered over and called down to him. She felt a rush of air, and stepped back instinctively as he leapt completely out of the well and landed crouched on his feet. He certainly was a demon, as previously InuYasha had been the only other to have gotten out in one jump. He stood, and waited for Kagome to tell him what to do next. She walked to the door of the well- house and opened it, temporarily blinding the both of them. She stepped outside and motioned for him to do the same.  
  
The first thing she noticed was his face. He was... beautiful. His long red hair ran down his back and framed his angular facial features, and his deep green eyes flashed his recognition of her. The next thing she noticed was his body. He was lean, firm and fit, just like that actor in that movie she and her girlfriends saw last week, "Fight Club", but without the tattoos. Nice shoulders, arms, and a six-pack. The third thing she noticed was his...  
  
"Oh my god!" She squeaked.  
  
He was naked! And "little" Shippo, as she and Sango used to jokingly call it when he bathed with them, wasn't so little anymore. She spun around to face away from him, blushing deeply, her heart pounding furiously. Why, she hadn't even seen InuYasha naked!  
  
'O.k., girl. Get it under control. Remember, you've had physiology classes, so you knew what to expect...'  
  
She slowed down her breathing. His clothes must have shredded when he "grew" as he passed through the time portal. Yes, that was it.  
  
"Kagome. Did I scare you again? I'm sorry." He was confused as to what to do, but he definitely didn't want her to get angry again or to run away from him.  
  
"All right...Shippo."  
  
Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat. She still had to get used to calling him that. She spoke with her back still turned to him so she wouldn't pass out.  
  
"Step back into the well-house for just a little while. I'm going to get you some clothes. I'll be right back, o.k?"  
  
"But Kagome, you've seen me without clothes before. What's wrong?"  
  
"Please Shippo, just bear with me, o.k?"  
  
It was becoming obvious to her that although his body had matured, he was still mentally just a kit. The poor thing was probably frightened out of his wits. Her maternal instincts for him kicked in. She would give him the affection and reassurance he desperately needed... after she got some clothes on him.  
  
"O.k. Please hurry, Kagome."  
  
She heard the well-house door creak as he closed it, and she headed as quickly as she could to the house. Grandfather must have an old gi left over from his martial arts training. That would have to do for now. Her one thought kept repeating itself as she opened the door and ran up the stairs.  
  
'He's a fox, and... he's a FOX!"  
  
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Shadows: nothing has happened to Shippo yet, but he might need your protection when Kagome's friends meet him.  
  
ShortPoet: Thanks for your continued support. Hope you like this chapter. 


	4. He's Oblivious!

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Kagome reached through the opening of the well-house door and handed Shippo the clothing she had found. Thankfully Gramps had enough of an ego that he kept all of his memorabilia, including his old sparring gear, from his days as a young apprentice.  
  
Momentarily, Shippo emerged from the well-house a bit tentatively, shielding his eyes from the mid-day sun. The gi was a bit small, as he was at least five feet ten inches tall, but it did the job. Clapping a hand to her forehead with a sigh of relief, she took the opportunity to look him over once again. Waves of light cascaded off of his brilliant burnt- orange hair whenever he turned his head, as he was doing now to get his bearings.  
  
"Ship..."  
  
He turned to face her and his eyes locked onto hers. Her voice caught in her throat because he literally hypnotized her on the spot just by looking at her.  
  
"Mother?" She thought she saw his mouth move, but she couldn't be sure.  
  
His face was so refined within its angular proportions, yet so masculine at the same time as to be impossibly gorgeous.  
  
"K... Kagome?" She stood rooted to the spot. He blinked, not knowing what to do, and took a tentative step towards her.  
  
"Kagome?"  
  
There was that sound thing that was happening again when his mouth opened. It was getting annoying, interrupting her space-out session like that. This time the sun caught his pearl-white teeth when he opened his mouth, glistening off the upper fang on the right. That caused her to notice his mouth in more detail. How wonderfully kissable it was. Her mind continued to wander. He moved cautiously closer. Her heart beat alarmingly faster.  
  
"Hell-oo-oo..." He sang while waving his hand in front of her face. He blinked again, then focused his deep emerald eyes on hers, his brow knitted in confusion. She went swimming in his eyes. He was close enough now that he reached out to grasp her upper arms, pulling her closer to him. Seeing that nothing else was working, he started to shake her.  
  
"Hey Kagome! Snap out of it! Wake up!"  
  
"Oh!.. Ship--po." She turned away, placing a hand over her mouth, to hide her blush from him.  
  
"Are you o.k. Kagome?"  
  
He tilted his head to where hers had turned. Coming back to herself, she thought quickly.  
  
'I can't let him know he's having this affect on me. He's so fragile right now.'  
  
She put on her best smile and turned back to face him, trying hard not to squint or go doe-eyed in front of him.  
  
"I'm fine, Shippo." She said somewhat breathlessly. "I should be asking you if you are o.k."  
  
"Oh, thank the gods..." He pulled her quickly into a hug, locking her within his solid musculature, causing her to go slightly cross-eyed from his affect on her. She grimaced and shook her head.  
  
'Fight it, Kagome. He thinks I'm his mother. He thinks I'm his mother. He thinks I'm his mother...' She got control of herself once more, and patted him on the back.  
  
"It's o.k. Everything's going to be o.k, Shippo." She consoled.  
  
"How can you be so sure? Look at me! How did I get this way?"  
  
"I'm not really certain, but we'll figure out why this happened, I'm sure. Let's go inside, now. O.k?" She gave him as much eye contact as she could to settle him down, praying she didn't fall into that abyss again.  
  
"O.k."  
  
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Mrs. Higurashi was busy preparing lunch when Kagome entered the kitchen area.  
  
"Oh, Kagome. I thought I heard someone come inside a bit earlier."  
  
"Mom, I need a favor."  
  
"Certainly, dear. However I can help, I'll try."  
  
"My s..., ahh, a friend from the feudal era got caught somehow and wound up here. Can he crash in Souta's room for maybe a few days until we figure out how to get him back?"  
  
"Well, I can understand your situation, but Souta will have to have some input into that decision, don't you think? I'm certain you would want him to respect your space as well. He'll be home from school soon."  
  
"Oh...o.k., I guess."  
  
That wasn't quite the answer Kagome wanted as Souta would likely demand something in return for his assistance. He was turning into a smooth operator at such a young age, that one.  
  
"Who is it that's here to visit us, that InuYasha fellow?"  
  
"No, it's Shippo."  
  
"Oh! That cute little fox that you're always telling us is just like your teddy-bear? Why can't he just stay in your room?"  
  
"I really don't think you want me to do that, mom." Kagome said exasperatedly.  
  
"Why not? I think it would be cute. You're always calling him your little son, anyway, and it would..."  
  
"Hello, umm, Mrs. Higurashi."  
  
Shippo now stood in the doorway, rubbing his hands together nervously, a hopeful smile on his face. Kagome's mom turned from the sink to the sound of the voice... and dropped the dish she had in her hands, shattering it on the floor.  
  
"Mom!"  
  
"Oh. I... I didn't realize..." Mrs. Higurashi tried to put together a coherent sentence as Shippo grinned nervously.  
  
"Let me get that for you." He was ever the helpful one.  
  
"Why, nonsense. I've been just so clumsy lately."  
  
Mrs. Higurashi slowly knelt to clean up the mess, her eyes never leaving the handsome kitsune. Kagome saw where this was headed and pulled Shippo by his sleeve.  
  
"Sit over here, please." She pointed to the table. Shippo took a seat.  
  
"I have to get something from my room. I'll be right back."  
  
Mrs. Higurashi nodded at her daughter and turned back to Shippo.  
  
"W... would you like some lunch?"  
  
"Yes, thank you. I'm starving."  
  
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Kagome hopped down the stairs and into the kitchen to find Shippo helping himself from a lunch platter her mom prepared. Mrs. Higurashi had seated herself across from the hungry kitsune, staring almost absent-mindedly at him.  
  
"This is delicious. Thank you." Shippo remembered his manners that his "mom" taught him.  
  
"Mom, I have to meet some friends. You remember Yusuke Urameshi? Hello? Mom?"  
  
"Eh... Oh! Kagome. Yes. What did you say?"  
  
"Yusuke."  
  
"Oh, yes."  
  
Mrs. Higurashi was speaking to her daughter, but didn't take her eyes off of Shippo.  
  
"I called him from upstairs. I'm going to meet him and his friend, Kurama. I think they can help me with Shippo's, umm, problem."  
  
"All right. Are you going to leave Shippo here?"  
  
Kagome looked from her mom to Shippo and back to her mom. That was the plan at first, but now she wasn't so sure. She didn't really have a choice. They had to get him some real clothes to wear.  
  
"Can I speak to you for a second, please?" Her mom nodded and slowly rose from the table to follow Kagome to the front door. Shippo continued to feed himself.  
  
"Listen, mom. He's a little disoriented, but he'll behave himself. Just don't let him leave the house before I get back, o.k?"  
  
"All right." Kagome turned to leave.  
  
"Kagome?" Her mom still had a far-off look on her face, her cheeks a bit flushed.  
  
"Yes, mom?"  
  
"He's a very handsome young man, isn't he?"  
  
"Umm, mom..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Are you o.k?"  
  
"Did I say something?"  
  
"Never mind."  
  
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	5. Careful, Botan!

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By the time Kagome got to the cafe where she was to meet the boys, she was starting to get a bit nervous. She had to catch up on her schoolwork, especially math, as exams were ever present. She had to catch up with her gang, Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi to find out what was going on. She had to see Hojo. She had an overgrown kitsune living at her house that she didn't know what to do with, and she was also thinking of her friends in the feudal era. She thought about that last battle and where all that power had come from. Perhaps Kaede could explain it. It seemed like there was so much to do, and not enough time to get it all done.  
  
The line moved and the clerk asked for her order. Music from BoA played in the background. The strawberry frappacino looked promising. As she stood in the queue waiting for them to make it, she saw Yusuke through the plate glass window, in his characteristic green suit, approaching the cafe, sticking his chest out, as usual. Ever confident, that one was. Botan was with him, dressed in a light blue jacket over a reddish top which matched her eyes, and black slacks. Her belt was the same color as the jacket, which matched her hair. She was very pretty, as usual.  
  
'Hmm. I know it's a working relationship, but I'd be just a tad jealous if I were Keiko.' Kagome thought.  
  
She would give her cousin a call later that night, to catch up on things after she took care of this pressing matter.  
  
The clerk called out her number and she took her beverage and walked to an empty table. Yusuke and Botan stepped inside and found her after searching about for a bit.  
  
"Hey... There she is!" Yusuke sauntered inside, tugging Botan along. He gave Kagome a hug.  
  
"Hello Kagome. It's so good to see you again." Botan was ever the polite one. She also briefly hugged Kagome. Yusuke pulled a chair for Botan and then seated himself.  
  
"Do you want anything?" He asked Botan.  
  
"I thought you'd never ask. I'll have a Santa-anna-choca-wocka-havana-bananna frosty. Large, please."  
  
"No prob. Be right back."  
  
They watched Yusuke head to the line before Kagome started up the conversation again.  
  
"Where's Kurama?"  
  
"Well, dear, that's partly the reason I came along. He's been called on a case and he'll be gone at least two days. I heard from Yusuke what happened and I wanted to offer my help if there is anything I can do.  
  
"I'm not sure, but I guess any help is better than none at all. Thanks."  
  
Yusuke presently came back to the table with his and Botan's beverages and they chatted away for another hour, catching up with one another. Kagome looked at her watch.  
  
"Oh boy, we really have to get back now. I didn't want to leave him alone, I mean with my mom, er, anyways, we have to go." She sweat-dropped as they both gave her an odd look.  
  
"Sure."  
  
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Kagome unlocked the front door and let Yusuke in first.  
  
"Mom, we're back!" She yelled out. She grabbed Botan by the sleeve of her jacket. The blue-haired girl gave her a questioning look.  
  
"Listen, Botan. Shippo doesn't umm, look like most guys. He might, umm, connect to you, so please, please don't overreact if that happens. He doesn't know that he's doing it. O.k?"  
  
"I'm not sure I completely understand, but all right. I'll be on my guard for anything."  
  
Kagome sighed and they went inside. Botan stopped short when she saw him and gasped, putting her hand over her mouth, finally understanding what Kagome had been explaining to her.  
  
Shippo was on the sofa, his legs folded underneath him, working on a giant swirly-pop her mom had given him, as happy as a clam. Her mom was standing up behind him... knitting braids into his hair!  
  
'I... KNEW she couldn't keep her hands off of him.' Kagome sighed exasperatedly. She walked around the suddenly mute Botan and started the introductions.  
  
"Shippo, this is Yusuke and Botan. Guys, you already know my mom..." She gave her mom a slight browbeating glare. Mrs. Higurashi simply blushed and continued happily combing and pleating the long red locks in front of her. Yusuke stepped up to Shippo.  
  
"How ya doin' guy?" They shook hands.  
  
"O.k., I guess." He twirled the pop a couple of times.  
  
Kagome cleared her throat.  
  
"And THIS is Botan!" She repeated. She pushed Botan in the back slightly and the oarswoman stumbled forward. Kagome looked up to the heavens, knowing she wouldn't be getting any help there, either. Hmph. Koenma was probably wetting his diaper, he was laughing so hard.  
  
Shippo looked up at Botan and reached out his hand to shake hers. He nodded his head back to flip some of his braids from the front of his face, exposing his chiseled features. Emerald irises locked onto deep reddish-brown ones as she took his hand into hers. She was not prepared for this. His touch was electric.  
  
Then he smiled at her.  
  
"Hi."  
  
.  
  
.  
  
.  
  
She hadn't realized exactly how much time had passed when she heard voices from a distance and felt hands tugging on hers.  
  
"... but I'm trying to let go... She just won't let go of my hand..."  
  
Kagome had tried, but finally Yusuke pried Botan's hand away from Shippo's. He jerked his hand away, rubbing and examining it to make certain his fingers and everything worked o.k. He gave her a quizzical look  
  
"Are you all right?"  
  
She glanced dazedly over at Kagome, who raised her eyebrows in silent communication. Botan quickly recovered, although her blush did not recede.  
  
"Ahh, yes. I'm fine, thank you. I was, ehh, conducting a test of your spirit energy levels. You pass with flying colors, I'm happy to say!" She grinned nervously, trying desperately not to look directly at him.  
  
"There's another test I'd like to conduct, if you please. It'll only take a few minutes, if you'd care to come with me?"  
  
She reached out for his hand again, but Kagome's mom wasn't going for it.  
  
"No!" She yanked Shippo by the hair when she almost shouted.  
  
"Ouch! Hey, that hurt!" Shippo reached back to rub his scalp. Mrs. Higurashi thought quickly, as all eyes were now on her.  
  
"I mean... I'm not finished yet. Sorry, Shippo. Why don't you come back in about an hour, dear..." She smiled a fake smile at Botan.  
  
"Now wait a min..." Kagome interrupted Botan and quickly led her out of the room, smiling sweetly at everyone else.  
  
"Excuse us please?"  
  
Yusuke looked back and forth between all of the women, dumbfounded. He scratched the back of his head as he looked at Shippo, who shrugged right back as he cracked into a giant blowpop.  
  
Mrs. H. hummed a happy tune as she went back to work on her project.  
  
Souta, who had come downstairs after finishing his homework, called out from the kitchen.  
  
"Mom, are we having ANYTHING for dinner tonight?"  
  
&&&&&&&  
  
Americanpuppy842: Yes, it's odd. That's why I'm working on this. It's something you won't read everyday. Thanks for your review.  
  
ShortPoet: If you laughed, I've done my job. Thanks much for your reviews.  
  
pretendingtobesane: Yes, she does. But it's not her fault! Thanks for your review.  
  
Twilight-Crystal: So glad you are laughing. Hope it keeps up. Thanks.  
  
CriscoKittie: Yes, it IS weird. Her maternal and feminine instincts are at war with each other, that's what creates the tension. But don't worry. She loves InuYasha. She as much told him so. But that doesn't mean she can't drool as much as the next girl. Thanks.  
  
Cynical Chaos: See, Kagome and Keiko are related, and... Anyway, things won't get serious for another couple of chapters, and you might get a cameo from a certain silver-haired hanyou. Thank ye.  
  
Katsume18: Glad you think it's good. Thank you for your support. I kind of got myself stuck writing 5 fics at a time, but I'll try to update sooner.  
  
chinadoll27: Glad you think it's funny. Thanks for reading.  
  
  
  
&&&&&&&


	6. What did you just say, Kurama?

&&&&&&&

The thunder continued to roll. Shippo sat up on his sleeping mat, chewing on his fingernails in fright. He looked over at the two others. Sota and Yusuke were fast asleep, with Yusuke's snores almost as loud as the thunder itself. A large flash of lightning lit up the room like bright daylight. Shippo winced while waiting for the coming clap. It rattled the windows.

"Mother!"

He hopped up and took off out of Sota's room, scurrying down the hall until he stood in front of Kagome's room. He knew Botan was also sleeping in there and he didn't want to intrude upon their privacy, so he fretted about, pacing nervously back and forth.

Until the next crack of thunder.

He eased the door open, and, carefully stepping over a sleeping Botan, crept into Kagome's bed and snuggled up as close to her as he could.

"Mmm. It's o.k., Shippo."

Kagome mumbled in her sleep, somehow sensing her 'son' needed her protection. She unconsciously pulled the sheet up over the both of them as she tucked his head under her chin and wrapped her arms around him.

Finally feeling safe, wrapped in the comforting arms of his 'mother', he soon fell asleep, completely ignoring the peals of thunder now. The clock on Kagome's dresser ticked on through the night.

&&&&&&&

"Oh, Inu-Yasha, this is _so _nice. You feel so warm and cuddly."

Kagome had her arms around her favorite hanyou, hugging him tightly all the while stroking her fingers through his hair. Oddly, he said nothing as he contentedly allowed her to scratch and rub his ears, then resume her combing of his soft, fine hair with her hands. This was so warm and fuzzy, it was all she needed to be as happy as a clam. It was almost like a dream. A wonderful, wonderful dream...

She smiled and reached up to scratch an itch on her cheek. Putting her hand back around him, she opened her eyes.

Wait a minute!

She wasn't with Inu-Yasha at all! She was in her bed at home, with her arms wrapped around...

"Eep!"

She snatched her arms away and leaped out of bed, accidentally kicking Botan as she stumbled over to the light switch.

"Ouch!" Botan woke up with a groan.

"What in heaven's name?" The princess of the river Styx rubbed her eyes and fought back a yawn as the lights came on.

There was a large fox in Kagome's bed, about the size of a Saint-Bernard. It raised its head when the lights came on, sniffing about the room before standing up. Kagome had one hand over her mouth, having only ever seen a fox so large when she recalled that one of the Thunder Brothers wore the pelt of Shippo's father. Botan was speechless.

"Shippo... is that you?"

The fox hopped off the bed and trotted over to Kagome, whose heart was in her throat from the novelty of the experience. She didn't, however, feel any fear for her safety. The fox put its head under her hand, seemingly begging for more petting.

'He must lose control and revert back when he falls asleep.' She straightened up and snapped out of it.

"Shippo! Stop this and return to your human form right now!"

The large fox shook itself, much as a wet dog would. Presently, it started to morph back into its human form.

Botan, ruby eyes wide in fascination, blinked twice as Shippo completed his transformation.

Yep, he was in his birthday suit.

"Ohhh..!"

Botan's eyes rolled up at the sight and she passed out. It was a good thing she was sitting on her sleeping mat at the time.

&&&&&&&

"Hmm, I hadn't realized when Kagome spoke to you the first time the seriousness of the situation."

Kurama spoke in his characteristic soft, smooth voice, belying his deepening concern. Yusuke had called in to brief him on the interesting earlier events while taking a morning walk around Kagome's neighborhood. Kurama reached up to brush back the crimson locks that had fallen over his ear and straightened out the creases in his jacket. No need to look disheveled even though he was on a case.

The containment unit holding the captured demon emitted an orange warning beep, temporarily taking his attention away from his conversation to check up on it.

"Who else is there with you?"

"Well, besides Botan, Kagome is here with her mom, as well as her little brother. Thankfully, it's Saturday. Keiko should be here in a few minutes with some breakfast, since I can't cook and no one else here is making a move in the direction of the kitchen..." He patted his growling stomach.

"Just a second, Yusuke."

The containment field had indeed grown weaker. Summoning some of his own power, Kurama charged the field until the unit indicator turned green again. He would have to speak to Botan about the quality of the field equipment being given to spirit detectives. She would probably get defensive, questioning whether or not the equipment was even used according to instructions. Kurama sighed.

"That means there will be four women in the house?" He asked somewhat distractedly as he continued to examine the unit.

"Well, yeah..? Hey Shuichii, that's elementary arithmetic. Better be careful, dude. Your rep as the smart one in the bunch is takin' a few hits about now..." Yusuke guffawed at his joke.

Kurama now turned his full attention to the issue under discussion.

"Yusuke, this is serious. From what you've explained to me, Shippo has matured physically, but has not completed his youko–tsuukagirei, basically a rite of passage that trains a full fox demon to control his powers. This should have been completed when he was around thirteen, overseen by his closest male relative."

Kurama continued to think to himself.

'If he's about seventeen now, that's at least four years of unchecked development thrust upon him all at once. Although not unprecedented, it is quite a rare situation.'

The full impact of what was occurring dawned upon him, and he gasped.

"Yusuke!" He practically yelled into the communicator.

"Hey! I'm not deaf, you know. What is it!"

"The women are in potential d... ahh, there could be a... situation. Listen to me carefully. You must separate him from them and keep them away from him. You haven't seen it yet, but his powers could spike uncontrollably. His other youkai powers could be quite destructive, and he may develop a new weapon and form of attack, but it's his power of seduc... ahh, attraction to the opposite sex that I'm most concerned about. Basically, he will have become an alpha-prime male. If that power emerges full-force, then his desire to mate with the nearest females in his vicinity will be almost unbelievable and their attraction to him will be just as intense. They won't be able to resist him, particularly if they are human females. Fox demons who are female have a pheromone they can release to protect themselves if they do not wish to mate, but human females will be helpless.

"What about Botan?"

"If she doesn't produce the pheromone naturally, she's as much at risk as the others.

"Are you nuts?"

"I assure you that my sanity is quite intact. If you recall the Dark Tournament, when I temporarily lost control in battle and Youko-Kurama took my place, you might get a better understanding of what we could be dealing with. Although I was in the middle of an intense battle, I could still sense the females in attendance as well as their immediate attraction to me. Had I desired, I could have... well, let's not get into that at this time, but I hope you can see what we may be up against."

"So you mean we could have a 'Youko-Shippo' on our hands, chasing down the girls?"

"You've almost hit the nail on the head, Yusuke, except that he wouldn't have to chase anyone."

"I thought you said you foxes only marked one mate?"

"That is correct."

Kurama sensed another demon, similar to the one he had trapped, approaching at a rapid rate. It was possibly related, or even the mate of the one he had captured, coming to try to free it. He glanced around but couldn't see anything as it was almost pitch-black. He continued on as he used his other senses to make it to the portal back to Reikai. He spoke quickly to Yusuke.

"We mark a life-mate out of true love and commitment. This is different. If he goes out of control, the scent of any female will put that female, and any others in his vicinity, at great risk. Mind you, there are females who will want nothing more than to throw themselves into his path, but that's an entire other story."

Kurama gave a resigned sigh at that last comment, as many of his own personal memories resurfaced.

"It appears that it has fallen to me to stand in for his father or older male sibling to lead him through his 'vision-quest'. I have no problem with that."

"What am I supposed to do with him in the meantime?" Yusuke was becoming more and more exasperated.

"I'll leave that to your creativity. I'm finishing up here and will be back in the human world no later than first thing in the morning. I would be there sooner, but Kuwabara is under the weather, as you are aware, and Hiei is in a funk over something or other and I cannot contact him to take this containment unit back to Koenma, so I have to do it myself."

"Yusuke? Hello?"

The other end of the communicator was not responding because Yusuke was running at top speed back to Kagome's house.

Kurama dropped the communicator and the containment unit to the ground as the second demon attacked him from behind. The rose whip struck three times, and the battle was over almost as quickly as it had begun.

'Well, Koenma-san, you'll be getting a two-for-one special today.' He chuckled to himself before becoming more serious.

'I'd better move more quickly. I truly have no time for further distractions.' His thoughts turned to Botan and he picked up his step, his brow slightly furrowed.

&&&&&&&

CriscoKittie: I know what you're saying. Crossovers are tough to follow sometimes if you don't know the characters from one or the other of the main stories. Hopefully you won't need too much info from YYH to follow this fic. Thanks.

Katsume18: Yes, Shippo is trying to be just Shippo and it's not working. We'll see what happens next, and thanks for your review.

Cynical Chaos: Mrs. Higurashi has never been given a first name in the anime (even the VA credits list her as "Kagome's Mom") so I'll just leave it at that. Keiko and Kags are true first cousins on her father's side. Thanks for following.

pretendingtobesane: Here is your Kura-chan! You'll be seeing more of him in future chapters. Thank you.

chinadoll27: Yes, it is odd. Just trying to break away from the norm. Hope you like... Thanks.

ShortPoet: Shippo will meet Kagome's girlfriends, but not yet. I have plans... (rubs hands together while laughing maniacally). Thank you!

Ja ne!

&&&&&&&


	7. Think fast, Yusuke!

&&&&&&&

It was a lovely morning, as the birds warbled and the butterflies flitted about. Chrysanthemums were blossoming, and fat bumblebees went about their busy work. Keiko turned onto Kagome's block and thanked her luck that she was able to find a parking spot right across the street from Kagome's home. She had done very well on her exams this past term, and received the little Izusu as a reward for her hard work. Opening the rear hatch, she carefully removed the basket of food, and after checking for traffic, crossed the street.

As she made it into the front yard, who should she meet coming out the front door but Sota. He was heading off to Little League practice that morning, so he had his bat and glove over his shoulder. The look of disappointment on his face vanished as soon as he saw her. She smiled in greeting.

"Hi Sota."

"Hi Keiko. Ohhh... That smells so good.

"What's the matter? Haven't you had anything to eat yet?"

Sota shook his head vigorously.

"Well then, I have some hot rolls that I made fresh this morning packed in here..." She knelt to open the basket, searching through the items. Sota dropped his glove and bat, and rubbed his hands together while waiting patiently.

"Would you like one?"

"Hai."

"Here you are."

"Arrigato."

He quickly stuffed it into his pocket, but didn't move. Keiko knitted her brows, but smiled at him nonetheless.

"Would you... like another one?" Sota had put on his best "orphan" face.

"Oh yes, please."

She handed it to him and he bowed politely, then picked up his things before stuffing the bun into his mouth.

"Have a good game today, Sota."

"Hmmmaph!"

"What?"

Sota chewed off a piece of the bun then swallowed it before speaking.

"Ichiro! Call me Ichiro!" (1)

"O.k. Whatever you say. See you later."

Keiko picked up her basket as Sota skipped happily down the street, then she turned and approached the front steps. She almost made it to the door, when she heard a familiar voice coming from a good distance down the block.

"Keeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiiikoooooooooooooooo!"

While she was momentarily taken aback, Yusuke hurdled the fence and dashed up to the front door, blocking Keiko's path. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he grinned nervously, his hand now rubbing the back of his neck.

"Why Yusuke, what's the matter?"

"Ehh, nothing really. Listen, have you got any money?"

"Well, I have about 10,000 yen on me, but if you need more..."

"No! I mean, no, that will be enough. I need to borrow it."

"Right at this moment? From what I've just witnessed, I imagine there are some hungry people inside, and I want to get this food unpacked before it gets cold." She made a move to the door, but he stepped in front of her again.

"Uhh, that can wait." She eyed him suspiciously.

"All right. What's really going on, Yusuke? You called me and asked me to bring some breakfast over, and now that I'm here, you won't let me inside."

"I... can't get into it right at this moment, but I promise I'll explain everything to you. Please, just give me the money."

His eyes were almost pleading as he also tried on different puppy-dog faces in order to elicit her cooperation. Sighing, she reached for her wallet, and removed the currency before handing it over.

"Car keys."

"What?!"

"I need to borrow the car for a little bit as well. Please?"

Yusuke flashed a toothy smile as he sweat-dropped. Keiko slowly handed the keys over as she looked at him through squinted eyes. Yusuke let out a long breath.

"You're so wonderful Keiko. That's why I love you."

He leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek, close to her lips, causing her to intake sharply and then blush.

"And did you do something to your hair..?"

"Why Yusuke, I..."

"Don't move from this spot."

He stepped inside and closed the door. Five seconds later, he opened the door again and picked up the basket of food before he went back inside.

"Be right back..."

&&&&&&&

Shippo was seated in front of the TV watching Saturday morning anime. Kagome, Botan and Kagome's mom were seated around Shippo watching him. And each other. Yusuke dropped the basket on the kitchen table and groaned, as everybody was still in their pajamas. He stepped between the women, and walked over to Shippo, grabbing him by the arm.

"Shippo, we gotta go."

"What?!" Came the cry in unison.

"We'll be back soon. We're just going on a short trip to the mall for some threads."

"Oh, that means Keiko is here. Where is she?" Kagome asked.

"Well invite her in, then." Botan made a move toward the door.

"NO!.. I mean, uh, she's admiring your garden. She'll be in shortly."

"Well, then I'll go with you to the mall." All three said in unison.

Yusuke thought fast.

"Well, her car only seats four, so I can only take two of you with us. I guess the first two to get ready will..."

He didn't finish as the women made a mad dash for the stairs. Kagome was closest, so she got there first.

"Kagome!" Her mother stopped her.

"Where are your manners toward your elders and your guests?"

"I..."

Botan used Kagome's hesitation to slip by her and run up the stairs. Kagome's mom also stepped past her and her look of admonishment turned into one of triumph as she also ran upstairs.

"Wha..."

Kagome could barely contain her upset. When she too disappeared, Yusuke saw his chance. Shippo had gotten up, having smelled the food, and was rummaging around when Yusuke grabbed him by the arm and headed toward the door.

"Let's go."

"Hey, I'm hungry!"

"Here, take this!" Yusuke grabbed a hot roll and stuffed it into Shippo's mouth, then led him outside.

"Didn't you say you were gonna wait for..."

Yusuke had opened the door a crack, only to find Keiko standing there with a cross look on her face. He thought fast, then pointed up the block.

"Hey! What's Yukina doing here?"

"Where?" Keiko turned to follow where he was pointing, and in that instant, he dashed past her with Shippo in tow.

"Wha..." By the time she realized his trick, he was out of the yard and heading across the street.

"Urameshi Yusuke!" She screamed, her hands balled into fists.

Pushing Shippo into the passenger side, Yusuke hopped in and turned the key, but the car wouldn't start! He sweat-dropped as he tried again, but all he got was a 'grrrr-rrrrr' sound.

'Oh no...'

By now, the other women had come outside, and he saw them speak to Keiko, and then he saw her point over to the car. They all had cross looks on their faces as they started to run over to the car.

_**Like a scene out of a horror movie, he kept trying to start the car and they kept getting closer.**_

'What the...'

He looked down at the ignition and realized that he was using the trunk key! Quickly switching keys, he started the car and screeched the tires as he hit the gas, Kurama's words echoing in his head. Shippo was having nothing but fun, grinning as he waved to the women when the car zoomed past them. Yusuke grimaced as he glanced up at the rear-view mirror.

The posse had formed, and they were hungry for food because they hadn't eaten, and they were hungry for his blood because of his deception. He felt like a fugitive with a bounty on his head.

He stepped on the accelerator.

&&&&&&&

Next stop: The mall!

(1) Suzuki Ichiro leads the major leagues in hits, and could pass the all-time record for a season. He is a HUGE hero to little boys in Japan, as well as around the world.

CriscoKittie: Glad to see you're back. Thanks for the review.

Sesshy81: Sorry I couldn't get this out faster. Next chap will come sooner. Thanks for your kind words.

pretendingtobesane: Who would you prefer that I pair Botan (or Kurama) with? Thanks.

KittySand Katie: Thanks so much. We'll have a bit more comedy and then it gets a bit darker (like the first chap).

ShortPoet: Thanks, as always. The women are a wee bit OOC due in part to Shippo's influence and partly due to the lemming effect.


	8. All will Fall at the Mall!

&&&&&&&

They made it to the mall without incident, but Yusuke was concerned about what he should do next. The mall was enormous, and thousands of shoppers had already arrived early, looking for bargains. Some had come just to socialize, to see whatever new thing was happening. He resigned himself as he pulled the car into a parking spot and got out.

"Let's go."

"Hey, are we gonna get something else to eat? I'm still hungry."

"Sure. Let's get you dressed up first." Yusuke himself was hungry, not having eaten before their escape.

They passed the entrance and went inside. As they passed one of the female security guards, Yusuke nodded, receiving an acknowledging nod in return. He stopped to ask her a question. Shippo smiled.

"Hi."

She almost dropped her walkie-talkie. Yusuke slapped his forehead.

"Can you just tell us where the sporting goods store is?"

"We... we have three. Which one do you want.?"

She replied to Yusuke, but she was looking at Shippo. She was slender, about five foot four inches, with a short cropped haircut under her white hat. Her uniform was a blue two-piece composed of a jacket and a skirt. Her white gloves and boots matched her hat.

"Just whichever is closest."

"Uhh, sure. That would be Yakeuchi Sports on the second level, East wing."

Shippo was in awe of the mall, looking this way and that. The guard was in awe of Shippo, sizing him up from head to toe.

"Thanks. Let's go, Shippo."

"Oh. So your name's Shippo? I'm Hiromata Yuriko." She extended her hand, smiling now.

"Wait!" Yusuke remembered the incident with Botan.

"What?"

"Uhh, he has contagious... uhh... maligno-ferrigamo-argento-mimosa..."

"Oh that's nonsense. So nice to meet you, Shippo."

"Nice to meet you."

They shook hands, bringing a blush to Yuriko's face. Yusuke let out a breath. Apparently her gloves formed a bit of a barrier against the full effect of Shippo's power.

"Let's get going."

"Umm. I could show you exactly where it is. This is a big mall, you know."

"Thanks, but that won't be necessary. Besides, don't you have this post?"

Yusuke now eyed her curiously.

"Oh. Umm, just a minute."

She spoke into her walkie-talkie for a moment before turning back to them.

"Now I'm free. Please follow me."

She walked around to Shippo's side and began to escort them, still blushing slightly.

"Wow."

Shippo looked up in wonder at the ceiling, hundreds of feet up, the trees from the atrium arching upward towards the light beaming down from the windows on the roof.

"Is this the biggest building in the world?"

Yuriko was glad to have an opportunity to express her knowledge about the mall's dimensions.

"Well, it's four million, two hundred thousand square feet in total, making it the second largest shopping mall in Japan. It was completed one year ago, and if you look over here..."

She grabbed hold of his hand to point to an area of interest. Yusuke was getting impatient. His stomach was also starting to growl.

"Ah, o.k. Enough with the guided tour. We need to take care of business." Yuriko blushed once again.

"Yes, of course. Sorry."

They proceeded on their way. She didn't however, let go of Shippo's hand, casting furtive glances up at him whenever she sensed his attention was elsewhere.

When they reached the escalator, Shippo became a bit pensive, balking at the first step.

"A moving floor?"

"Yeah, don't worry. Just hop on like this." Yusuke stepped on and moved up and away from them.

"Is this your first time on an escalator? Don't be afraid. I'm right here with you. Just hold onto me."

She slyly took his arm and put it around her shoulders, allowing her to wrap her arm around his waist. They took the first step on together, and the escalator moved the two of them up toward the next level. Yusuke had reached the top and was waiting for them.

An odd thing was happening, however.

Since Yuriko was paying such close attention to Shippo, she failed to notice the open-mouthed stares of the female passengers on the escalator going down in the other direction. As if they were in the presence of a sports or pop idol or something, some of them became so excited that they grabbed each other and giggled. Some gasped. A sizable number of them got off at the bottom, and got right back on the up escalator, ostensibly to follow the object of their interest.

Yuriko was basking in Shippo's aura, still clutching him tightly or she would have seen what was developing.

Yusuke did notice.

'That's not good.'

When they reached the top of the escalator, he pried Yoriko from Shippo and shook her slightly.

"Which way?"

She pointed first in one direction, slightly confused, then corrected herself, an embarrassed grin on her face.

"That way."

"All right. Let's go."

He looked back over his shoulder down the escalator. A posse seemed to be forming, and getting larger by the second.

&&&&&&&

They finally reached the store. Slyly, Yusuke slipped the bolt lock in place so they wouldn't be bothered any more than they were already. The clerk appeared occupied at the counter and hadn't noticed his action. He hadn't appeared to even notice them at all.

The first order of business was to buy warm-up suit or something similar. The sporting goods store was not surprisingly full of Boston Red Sox stuff. Yusuke pulled a suit from the rack and examined it.

'Looks good enough to me.'

"Shippo, how's this look?"

"O.k, I guess."

"Not that color. This one matches your hair much better."

Yuriko had pulled a different suit off the rack and held it up to Shippo. Yusuke tried again to get rid of her.

"Aren't you supposed to be working?"

"Ahh... I am... that is... umm... a mall customer needs assistance and I'm... assisting, sir."

She bowed politely to Yusuke and then turned back to Shippo.

'Whew.'

Yusuke shrugged his shoulders. She'd be out of his hair as soon as they left the mall. Until then, she was stuck to them like a barnacle at low tide.

"Right."

Yusuke walked over to the clerk, whose fingers were tapping controls on a small console. He was immersed in a simulated battle in the game, **_"Ninja Gaiden"_**.

"Hey! Customers over here! Can he try this on?"

"Sure. Dressing rooms are over there."

The kid waved to his right without even looking up from his game. He stopped for just a second to text-message one of his pals on his flip phone before going back to the game.

"Gonna need a hat and some sunglasses."

Grudgingly, the kid reached under a display case and put the display of shades out on the counter.

"This is what we got. Hat's are over there." He waved to his left.

He then went back to his X-Box. Yusuke rolled his eyes as they could have probably shoplifted whatever they wanted and the kid wouldn't have cared one bit. The double irony was that they had a security guard escort and they still could have shop-lifted whatever they wanted as she would likely never have noticed. Something else caught his attention.

'What the...'

A mob of girls and women had gathered at the front door and were tugging at it, trying to get in, almost like a scene out of **_"Night of the Living Dead"_**. Yusuke looked back over at the clerk, who still hadn't noticed, totally immersed in his game.

Yusuke's communicator squawked just then.

'Geez, I hope it's Kurama or Hiei.'

He flipped it open, only to see Botan's upset visage. Yusuke winced at the tongue-lashing he was going to get.

"There you are! How dare you kidnap Shippo..!"

There was a bit of rustling and clutching as Kagome stuck her face onto the monitor, bumping Botan out of the way.

"Listen, Yusuke! I don't know what you're thinking, but if you don't bring him back this instant..."

There was a bit more wrestling, and Botan got the communicator back from Kagome.

"Give that back! That's official Spirit World issue... not for human use... now, where was I... oh, yes... "

The smug face was quickly replaced by the cross one.

"Urameshi, what do you think you're doing..?! If you don't..."

More babbling was going on in the background, with Keiko, Kagome and Mrs. H all chattering away.

"... anything happens to Shippo..."

"... break both of Yususke's arms..."

"... going to have a talk with his mother..."

"Will all of you please shut up!? This ain't a picnic, here. I'm doing this for your own good."

"And just what do you mean by that?" Botan hissed.

"Are you sure you want to know? It's kind of embarrassing."

"Yusuke." Shippo called out to him.

"Hold on a minute." Yusuke looked over at his charge.

"What is it, Shippo?"

"I'm starting to feel kinda... funny."

"I know you're hungry; we'll get something to eat as soon as we get out of here..."

"No. It's not that. I... My..."

"What!!??"

"I... I..."

Shippo was holding his head and moaning like he had a migraine.

"Ohhhhh..."

The wind was subtle at first, then picked up in velocity. Sparks of lightning-like power flashed from over his head as a vortex began to form around him. Yuriko stepped back from him in awe.

"What.. Shippo?"

Yusuke groaned. He had seen this once before. The mall could be destroyed if they didn't get the hell out of there.

Everything was happening at once.

"Hey, security! You gonna call for backup or somethin'!?"

The clerk had finally noticed the front door. Like a scene out of the Hitchcock classic **_"The Birds"_**, scores of girls and women had gathered outside of the sporting goods store, with more and more showing up by the minute.

The vortex surrounding Shippo increased in power, sending racks of clothing flying, smashing into the walls. Yusuke pulled Yuriko out of the way of a flying display, which smashed into a case right behind them. The lights flickered off and on, and a low rumble shook the place like an earthquake. When everything finally settled, Youko-Shippo emerged, by now almost six-feet ten inches tall of solid muscle, his red hair replaced by a mane of frosty silver. If any of the women who had seen him thought he was handsome before, he was lethally dead-sexy now. He stretched as if he'd slept for a thousand years and growled as he flexed his muscles, almost as if in awe of his freedom. His silver tail twitched about him excitedly as he surveyed his surroundings and then sniffed the air.

Women.

Completely ignoring the men in the store, his eyes locked onto Yuriko's, freezing her in place. A fang appeared as he smiled, silently communicating with her.

"Hey, security!"

Yuriko, in a daze, paid no attention to the cries from the clerk. She took off her hat and placed it on what was left of a nearby counter. Then she removed her gloves and neatly folded them before placing them on her hat.

Then she began unfastening the buttons of her uniform, starting from the neck, completely hypnotized by the fox-youkai's transformation.

"Yes... Shippo. I... am... yours... my master..."

"Hey! What the hell are you..?!"

By the time Yusuke noticed her, she had tossed her jacket and was working on her bra. He reached her just in the nick of time, however, and grabbed at her wrists, a large bead of sweat dripping from his forehead. She showed no signs of modesty, however, completely taken over by the fox demon. Yusuke looked around frantically for something to tie her up with, trying very hard not to glance at her upper body, which happened to be quite nicely developed for a girl so slender. Finally snatching a sweatband from one of the displays, he tied it around her wrists. She struggled against the spirit detective.

"Shippo! Master, help me!"

"Dude! You gotta help me!"

The clerk at the front door screamed. The combined force of the shrieking women outside was stressing the bolt of the lock, threatening to break it in two. The stampede that would result if they got inside was horrifying to contemplate. Yusuke had by now gotten hold of Yuriko's handcuffs and cuffed her securely, preventing for the moment any further removal of clothing. Shippo raised his head and howled, super-masculinity rolling off him in waves, causing the women outside to go mad. They had by now grabbed benches, potted plants, and anything else they could get their hands on to hurl at the door to get to him. Yuriko's hands were bound, but she still tried to shimmy herself out of her skirt. Angered that the objects of his desire were bound or blockaded, Shippo growled and turned to confront Yusuke in a deep booming voice.

"Step away, Urameshi. This vixen belongs to me. All of the others are mine, as well. If you interfere again, I will destroy you."

He raised his hands over his head, and a silver rod materialized in his grasp, crackling with power.

"Shippo, you're not yourself. We've got to get the hell out of here."

Yusuke, seeing no other alternative, charged up the Spirit Gun to blow an exit out of the back of the store when he felt a presence materialize behind him.

"Hnn. I see your quite limited abilities are overwhelmed once again, eh Urameshi?"

"Hiei!"

&&&&&&&

Next: Things go from bad to really bad. Youko-Kurama confronts Youko-Shippo. Mass destruction and mayhem ensue. A miffed Kagome drags InuYasha into the fray, just because she can...

CriscoKittie: Nursing! Good luck to you. Hope to see more of your work soon. Thanks.

bianka the albino slut: Thanks for your comments. Shippo and Kagome won't be paired, but I had to show you her reaction to him. Hope you like this.

ShortPoet: Here is what happens at the mall. And we're not finished yet. Thanks.

Sesshy81: We might have a mall-rats massacre if more help doesn't arrive soon. Thanks for reading. And I really like your fic "Unexpectedly".

KittySand Katie: Yay! Ichiro got the record! Thanks for your review. Hope you like this chap.

Katsume18: Thanks. I've got like a zillion fics I'm working on at once. It usually works to keep writer's block at bay, but sometimes I goof up, like my "Chain" fic. Oh well, hope you like this.

cynical chaos: a bit of funny, but now we're transitioning to drama. And it could get really ugly. Thanks for your support.

Ja ne.

W.


	9. Fire and Ice!

&&&&&&&

"Hiei! When did you get here!?"

"Oh, I came in about the same time you did. I was simply moving too fast for the naked eye to follow. I can do that, remember?"

"Well where the heck have you been?!"

"I've been observing things from my vantage point, over there." He pointed to a small storage area behind the dressing rooms.

"You mean you've watched me suffer all this time and did nothing?"

"I merely wanted to observe the leader of our little band of Spirit Detectives working solo and gauge his response while under duress. I must say, quite impressive."

Why you..."

Yusuke was about to give the short fire demon a piece of his mind when he was interrupted.

"Fools! Do you now mock me?!"

The enraged silver fox roared his displeasure. Hiei turned to glare at the imposing youkai.

"There must first be something to mock." He said in his characteristic, clipped manner. The silver fox growled at the insult, speaking with deadly intonation.

"I shall kill the both of you, then feast upon the banquet that is mine."

He waved his hand in the direction of the now more than one hundred females shrieking and screaming. Hiei bemusedly cocked an eyebrow, then turned to face his opponent.

"Hnn. We'll just see who kills whom."

He started to walk over to confront the fox when he felt Yusuke's hand on his shoulder.

"Hiei! You don't understand. We can't kill him. We have to somehow disable him or get him back to his normal state. If we do anything else, Kagome will kill me, not to mention Keiko, who's already gonna give me a serious butt-whipping, not to mention Botan, who'll never let me hear the end of it."

Yusuke rubbed the back of his neck as he looked down at the floor.

"Not to mention Mrs. H., who'll give my mom all the gory details, and then _she'll _make my life a living hell when I get home..."

Hiei turned back to Yusuke, grunting his disapproval of the approach as he squinted at the detective.

"You know, you're pathetic. Remind me again why we follow you into battle?

He waited a short moment.

"Never mind. Don't answer that."

Turning again to Youko-Shippo, he spoke.

"You are fortunate, fox, that I choose to comply with the wishes of our _leader_..." He paused for emphasis.

'... and so I will spare you a most humiliating and gruesome death."

Hiei drew his katana. Youko-Shippo's silver staff began to glow with power. In less than the blink of an eye, Hiei vanished from the spot where he was standing, reappearing at Youko-Shippo's left side before slashing with his weapon. The katana cut into the fox's forearm. He howled in pain. Yuriko screamed her anguish at seeing her master bleed.

"Hiei!" Yusuke shouted. Hiei was about to strike a second time, but vanished, only to reappear at Yusuke's side, very annoyed.

"Listen, you only told me not to kill him. I have to disable him somehow. Look at him. Should I just ask him nicely to hand his weapon over to me?"

Yusuke's eyes widened in awe as he pointed over to Shippo. Hiei turned to see what he was pointing to.

"Oh, wonderful. While I'm over here wasting time with you..."

The fox-youkai had reached over with his right hand and drew blood from his wound. Closing his eyes, he tasted the blood before the area around the wound began to glow. Then it sealed, healing completely. He glared at the fire demon.

"Fool! You shall now taste my wrath!"

Hiei vanished once again from Yusuke's side, but before he could set himself to strike, Youko-Shippo tapped his staff on the ground, creating a barrier just at the place Hiei was about to pass before striking. The koorime hit the barrier at top speed and was repelled, stunned. He stood slowly and shook off the effects before removing his black top coat.

"Hnn. First round to you. I suppose I shouldn't have taken you so lightly."

He took an attack stance before vanishing once again in a blaze of speed, reappearing to strike again and again at the fox. Youko-Shippo parried each of his blows, however, having successfully adjusted to the hyper-speed attack, his frost-colored hair whipping about as he moved. Hiei continued to increase the velocity of attack, moving from front to back, side to side, hoping to wear down the fox demon. Each strike was stopped, however. Hiei finally became frustrated, stopping in a flash in front of his opponent before removing the headband to unveil his Jagan eye.

"Hiei!"

"Silence!"

"Freeze!"

In the fraction of a second it took Yusuke to distract Hiei, Youko-Shippo unleashed a freeze attack from his silver staff. The energy crackled forth, catching Hiei from the waist down, immobilizing him. Hiei realized he had only one chance.

"Jagan..."

He did not complete the incantation, as Youko-Shippo's second attack encased him completely.

"Hiei!"

Yusuke had run out of options. He powered up his Spirit Gun attack and fired, hoping merely to disorient the fox enough in order to reach his comrade. Youko-Shippo easily dodged the attack as the blast blew out the back of the store, creating an opening out into the upper tier parking lot area. Fortunately, it was still under construction, so the area outside was empty.

Yusuke powered up once more, figuring that if Youko-Shippo was this powerful, he would survive a direct hit. He prayed he was correct. The fox demon, having seen the effects of Yusuke's first attack, quickly formed a defensive barrier, behind which he prepared unleash his own attack.

"Spirit.!"

"Stop it this instant!"

Both combatants turned to the sound of the voice coming through the smoke and dust of the truck-sized hole Yusuke's previous attack had created.

Kurama emerged, brushing the dust and bits of broken concrete from his shoulders and shaking it out of his hair.

"I can see from the evidence here that I have arrived a bit late. For that I apologize."

Youko-Shippo sniffed the air, extracting Kurama's scent from the rest.

"You too, are a fox. Do you come to fight me as well?"

"No. I do not wish to fight you. However, I cannot allow you to further jeopardize the safety of all these people. I want to help you. But first, allow me to assist my friend, here."

Kurama then turned to the encased Hiei and transformed his rose into a whip. The whip lashed out, its thorns cracking and then splitting the block of ice into pieces. A shivering Hiei fell to the floor, teeth chattering. Yusuke quickly grabbed a jacket from one of the fallen racks and wrapped it about his friend. Kurama retracted the rose-whip and turned to face Youko-Shippo.

"Now then, will you allow..."

Youko-Shippo attacked before Kurama could finish his sentence, his staff extending to twice its length in the blink of an eye, the end of it striking Kurama squarely in the chest. The force of the blow sent him crashing through the wall of the storage area, knocking him out cold. Youko-Shippo then turned to Yusuke, who began to power up once again as the situation had gone from worse to much worse.

"I grow weary of this. All who stand in my way must die."

As he raised his staff once again to begin the attack, Yusuke raised his arm to aim at his opponent. Both stopped once they saw the light crackling and smoke swirling from beyond the wrecked wall through which Kurama had been thrown. A chill went down Yusuke's spine as the realization hit him. If he thought he was in trouble before, he was sadly mistaken.

'Oh gods, please. Not two of them...'

The force of his demon energy tearing the remainder of the wall to shreds as it preceded him, Youko-Kurama emerged.

The two silver fox-youkai locked eyes, and time stood still.

&&&&&&&

Next chapter: Ahh, you can figure it out...

Sesshy81: Here's the update you requested. I got your hint. :)

mikomi bansiki: Thank you. I hope I'm keeping everyone IC. I'm sure you'll let me know.

ShortPoet: Hooray for customer service. I actually ran into a clerk who was playing his game while the manager was at lunch. Eh, whacha gonna do? Thanks.

KittySand Katie: As they say in boxing, "Let's get it on." And they will.

CriscoKittie: The two rivals meet! I'll explain how to tell them apart next chap. Thanks!

cynical chaos: Panic, chaos and disorder, as you requested. More on the way. Thanks.


	10. Let's Get Ready to Rumble!

* * *

In a flash, they are upon one another, frost-colored hair flying about as first Youko-Kurama, then Youko-Shippo, charged, dodged, regrouped, and attacked again. Youko-Kurama feinted a charge and at the last moment delivered a blow to the head that temporarily staggered his foe. Youko-Shippo recovered, and gained an edge with a quick strike to the chest that knocked Youko-Kurama backward. He skidded to a stop, only to find Youko-Shippo directly upon him, continuing his relentless attack. Youko-Kurama parried most of the blows, but in this state, Youko-Shippo was extremely powerful, and his pent-up lust for the women who were so close, yet still out of reach, had driven him to near madness. 

The energy being released by the two fox-youkai had caused parts of the ceiling to crumble and fall. Yusuke, leaving a recovering Hiei sitting on the floor, rushed over to Yuriko, who was by now overcome by the sight of the two battling foxes. Now clad in only bra and panties, she had actually gotten herself out of her skirt, and kicked it away. Shippo's spell had vanished at Kurama's appearance, but her body still prepared itself for the inevitable. Instinctively, she knew that whichever of the two won the battle, she would be the first prize taken by the victor. She shuddered as a chill ran down her spine at that thought.

Yuriko's life had been a simple one up to this point. She had done fairly well in school, currently holding a B plus average while also a member of a number of clubs. She also had done well enough here at her weekend job, where she hoped to save enough to help her parents get her through college. She considered herself fairly average in the looks department, although she knew she had a nice figure. She had gotten some attention from guys, but never the ones she really wanted. She had kissed and even petted, but she had never taken _that _step with any of them. Now it was but a matter of moments, as she could see that the combatants were wearing each other down. Would she soon be a victim, or... a willing participant? Her mind was so confused that it simply couldn't get her body to control itself. The sounds of the battle, all that male musk, and now, what?

Blood? The battle was indeed fierce.

She gasped when she felt a pair of hands on her bare shoulders. Yusuke had moved behind her and nearly shouted into her ear.

"Where are the keys to these?"

He reached down and tugged at one of her bound wrists, indicating he wanted to free her of the cuffs.

"What?"

She was still in a fog.

"The keys… the keys! Where are they?"

"Ahh, they're… they're in… umm, an inside pocket of my…"

Yuriko looked down at herself and for the first time noticed what she wasn't wearing. She blushed profusely then, when she realized her state of undress. Yusuke blushed at her blush, trying his best once again to keep his eyes from wandering where they shouldn't.

'Oh man, wouldn't she just have to have nice legs to go along with her... with her...'

"… my jacket." She squeaked.

"Hang on. I'll be right back."

She couldn't help it, try as she might. Yuriko's heart pounded rapidly in her chest. Two ultra-male demons were leveling the store over her, and now another guy, who also happened to be quite attractive in his own right, appeared deeply concerned for her welfare, and he hadn't even met her before today. This was the most attention she had gotten from guys of this caliber, ever. And to top it all off, she was for the moment bound, at the mercy of however the fates would have events unfold. The feeling of helplessness along with being almost naked simply added to the thrill of everything else that was happening. She sucked in oxygen, panting, as she tried to remain alert to the action.

Yusuke quickly returned with her jacket, and found the keys in her pocket. Again, she shuddered at his touch as he grasped her arm to try to fit the key into the lock. Succeeding, he yanked her away from the devastation that continued unabated, slipping her jacket over her shoulders.

'Whew, at least one potential crisis averted.'

Yusuke then looked over at the front door. The clerk was still cowering in terror at the prospect of his life ending in mere moments. He had killed many virtual enemies as a gamer, but this was far more intense than any game he had ever played. Outside, mall security had worked their way past most of the now screaming, teeming masses. The commander of security, a beefy man in his mid-thirties, stood awe-struck at the scene through the plate glass doors before him. He barked commands into his walkie-talkie, calling for reinforcements from the police, and the military, if necessary.

Yusuke weighed his options. There was no way they were getting past security without someone getting hurt. He dragged Yuriko over to Hiei, who had by now completely recovered.

"Hiei! We've gotta get out of here! But we've got to stop them first!"

Through the ruckus, Hiei stood and then brushed himself off as he slipped his coat on over his shoulders.

"Hnn. I certainly couldn't care any less. Why not just let them kill each other? Oh wait, they're about to do that right now."

Although Youko-Shippo matched Youko-Kurama almost evenly in size and strength, the older fox had the advantage of many more years of fighting, and, after gauging his enemy's strategy and tactics throughout the fight, finally figured out a way to defeat him. Modulating his energy, he let Youko-Shippo believe that he was getting weaker as the battle wore on, setting him up for the kill once Shippo put all of his energy into a final attack meant to kill him. He didn't have to wait long.

"You grow weaker, Kurama. I can feel it. It's too bad for you that you decided to interfere by stepping into my territory. Now you will pay for your arrogance and stupidity."

Youko-Shippo charged his staff with all of his remaining energy, intent on killing Youko-Kurama at last. He would break through the weakening defensive shield and turn his foe into crumbling slivers of ice.

He fired his attack.

Youko-Kurama withdrew the defensive shield and called forth a spell that completely absorbed and nullified the energy of Youko-Shippo's attack.

And then turned it back on him.

Youko-Shippo, now defenseless, absorbed the blast completely, and the force of it would have thrown him through the wall outside, had the other kitsune not moved with blinding speed to grab him.

"We shall now see who will pay."

With the now-unconscious Youko-Shippo at his mercy, Youko-Kurama felt his nails extend into claws as his inner-youkai(1) prepared for the inevitable outcome of this competition between alpha males, death to the defeated. The claw of the index finger traced the path along Shippo's throat where the jugular would be severed.

"Kurama! You can't kill him!"

Eons of this bloody ritual dance of the male of the youkai foxes have carved deep this scenario, far beyond habit and instinct. Youko-Kurama was caught in a mental haze created by the exertion of combat, and the sexual frenzy caused by the scent of the women who were now his, by virtue of his victory.

Yes.

He would kill, and then he would mate. Likely repeatedly, as his brain separated the scents of hundreds of females who were ready for him now. He reached back to strike the death-blow.

"Kurama!"

"Oh please, don't! Not Shippo!"

"Hnn."

Just as he was about to strike, Youko-Shippo began to morph in Kurama's grasp until he was back in his teenaged form. His scent, and everything about him was now completely different. No longer regarding him as an enemy, Youko-Kurama dropped the boy to the floor before turning to face the others. Victorious, his eyes searched about for his prize before falling upon Yuriko. Yusuke stepped in front of her.

"Kurama. I know you're in there. C'mon, Kurama..."

"Step aside, human!"

"Oh geez, not again."

"Detective, I have an idea. Let him have the girl."

Yusuke looked at Hiei as if he had two heads.

"All right then. Everybody has now gone certifiably nuts. If you think that I'm gonna stand by while he..."

"Don't worry. He won't do anything. But he can't be reasoned with in his current state. He's pumped full of battle endorphins and on top of that the scent of so many women has rendered him temporarily insane..."

"What? Scent?"

"You're not a demon, so it goes right past your olfactory directly to your hypothalamus. Then you... Hnn. Anyway, I'd love to stand here and give you a physiology lesson on humans, but we don't have time for that now, do we?"

Hiei pointed to the front door, where police had by now arrived in support of security.

"Uhh, what should we do, then."

"Watch. And learn."

Hiei disengaged Yuriko's arm from Yusuke's grasp and led the trembling girl to the fox-demon. Leaving her in the middle of the floor, he stepped away from her. Youko-Kurama moved quickly, grasping her by her arms as he first sniffed about her face and hair, then began to kiss and lick her ears and throat before moving to kiss her on the lips. The blood pounding in her head, Yuriko gasped out a final plea before fainting dead away.

"Please... please be gentle."

"My dear, I am a demon, and I mean to ravage you as is my nature. When I have finished, you will... you will..."

His eyes glazed over as Hiei struck him once again on the back of the head. Then it was Yusuke's turn.

"Geez, he's got a thick skull."

"Yes, probably to protect that precious brain, as I'm certain Shuiichi would tell you himself. Unnh."

That last blow of Hiei's finally knocked Youko-Kurama out for the count. Yusuke caught Yuriko as she fell from his grasp and laid her gently on the floor. Within seconds, Youko-Kurama reverted back to Kurama. Grunting his annoyance, Hiei then slung his erstwhile partner over his shoulder, while Yusuke did the same to Shippo. Glancing one last time at the disaster that used to be the sporting-goods store, he sighed before turning to the hole in the wall leading outside.

"Let's get out of here."

* * *

Mrs. Higurashi had driven the other girls to the mall, and, using Botan's directions from the communicator's tracking device, they met up with the boys a short distance from the parking lot. Depending on Hiei's acute sense of direction, the boys had barely escaped the police and security. 

"There's been quite a bit of excitement today. I think we'd all better head back home." Mrs. Higurashi said.

By the time they all got back to the Higurashi shrine, who should they meet but InuYasha, who was grinding his teeth impatiently while waiting.

"InuYasha" Kagome ran over to him and hugged him tightly, causing him to gasp and flinch.

"Ka... Kagome! What?"

"Shh. Your timing is perfect. I really need this."

Kagome changed her grip from around his waist to around his neck. Oh, but he felt really good to her. InuYasha's anger was quelled as he pleadingly looked about him for help. Mrs. Higurashi, her arms folded, simply smiled.

"Yusuke!"

Keiko had by now grabbed Yusuke and was hugging him tightly as well.

"I'm so glad you're alright. We heard the sounds of the battle through Botan's communicator."

"Well, I, uhh. Oohh!"

Keiko squeezed the air right out of him.

"Kura-chan!"

Botan had lead Kurama from the car to settle him on a bench in front of the shrine next to a still-woozy Shippo. She prodded the bump on the back of his head.

"Ouch! Really, fellows. Did you have to hit me so hard?"

"Hnn. So I should have instead put you out of your misery for good?"

Hiei then yawned. He was getting bored. He wouldn't be for long.

Mrs. Higurashi had been at dutiful mother, a loving provider and an excellent caregiver for many years since the death of Sota and Kagome's father. In all that time since then, the happiness of her son and daughter had been so much more important to her than her own. Although still an attractive woman, she never dated because she was afraid that the delicate balance that their family had achieved might be put at risk should another man enter the picture. She had made a solemn promise to herself that she would not start dating again until Sota was in high school.

Well, that was fine except that she was still a woman. And she was still alive and breathing the last time she checked. So she certainly appreciated an attractive man when she saw one. Indeed, Kagome and Sota's dad had been a very handsome man. It was sometimes difficult for her, but she could always control herself whenever InuYasha stopped by to visit Kagome. He was so dashing in his bright red haori, with the silver mane flowing behind him. Kagome was so lucky to have him. It was a even more difficult when Keiko brought Yusuke over the first time. He was definitely (what did they call them in Kagome's teen-magazines? Oh yes...) a hottie, and such a non-conformist who took crap from no one on top of that. He brought back so many memories of her children's father, who had been equally anti-social before she tamed him. She had been absolutely taken aback by teen-Shippo's magnificent masculine aura, and now that Kurama and Hiei were here she was being absolutely inundated by the presence of about half a dozen good-looking male specimens.

Really, really, really, really good-looking.

It was kind of overwhelming. Hiei stood the closest to her, his glowering, fidgeting, impatient intensity something she hadn't really observed in a male before. She bent down to give him a closer look. He eyed her warily, moving slightly away from yet another human whose mental state he wasn't completely certain of. Despite his outward display of lethal disgruntled-ness, Hiei was really a puppy deep down. She sensed that immediately when she looked into his eyes.

"Oh my, but you really _are _a cute one." Mrs. Higurashi then reached out to pinch Hiei on the cheek.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that. I couldn't help myself." Mrs. Higurashi blushed slightly as she put her hand over her mouth.

As lightning quick as Hiei was, he hadn't seen that one coming. He hesitated momentarily, opening his eyes wide in shock as the experience registered in his brain. He practically coughed on his words in an animated manner.

"What the... woman, do you... know that... you've just sealed your..."

Before he could complete his sentence, Kurama had quickly reached him and clamped a hand over his mouth, having observed the goings-on from a few feet away. While holding a struggling and sputtering Hiei, Kurama bowed his apologies as he spoke in his silky-smooth voice.

"I'm terribly sorry, Mrs. Higurashi. Hiei has not been himself lately. I think perhaps he needs a bit of a vacation."

"Oh, well, that's all right, I understand. Perhaps he's hungry. Would you like something to eat?"

"Why that would be quite gracious of you Mrs. Higurashi, wouldn't it Hiei?"

Kurama slowly removed his hand from Hiei's mouth. The koorime's anger had not yet subsided.

"Does she know how many demons I've k..?"

Once again, the hand was clamped on Hiei's mouth. A smiling Kurama very patiently tried again.

"What was that? Did you just say that you were hungry?"

He gave the koorime a light rap on the head as he smiled to himself in satisfied retribution. Botan looked on bemusedly as she patted Shippo on the back while he leaned on her shoulder for support.

Hiei finally got the message and calmed down enough that Kurama eventually released him. He still grumbled under his breath at the smiling Mrs. Higurashi, his attempt at a threat having gone completely over her head.

'Totally clueless. I've got to get away from these humans as soon as poss...'

Hiei looked down at Sota, who was now tugging on his coat.

"Excuse me?"

"Hi."

"And what do you want?"

"That's a cool bandana. Can I have it?"

"Well, I could give it to you, but then I'd have to k..." He glanced over at Kurama, who shook his head.

"Listen, little boy. Don't you have something to do, like collect insects or something?"

"Nah, that's kid stuff, and I'm not a kid. See, I'm almost as tall as you!"

Hiei rolled his eyes as he was once again reminded about his height, or lack of it. He turned to walk away, and then noticed he had another shadow. He had unintentionally become the object of Sota's fascination. He grumbled to Kurama.

"I'm going inside. Come and save me from my fate when you're ready to leave."

"I'm going inside, too." Sota skipped happily behind the exasperated koorime, who muttered to himself as he fingered his katana.

"I _want _to kill, but I _can't _kill. I'm a demon. How stupid is this? Hnn. Humans will be the death of me..."

* * *

After a wonderful lunch (and Mrs. Higurashi positively beamed with satisfaction over the attention they lavished upon her), Kurama explained to the rest what he had to Yusuke regarding the need for Shippo to complete his rite-of-passage. 

They would be leaving that evening.

* * *

A/N: Next, the youko–tsuukagirei (vision quest). Also, does anyone care if Yuriko comes back? I have an idea that has her looking for Shippo (and Kurama), or I could just as easily finish this fic without her. 

(1) inner-youkai - I borrowed this from a great fic by Sesshy81 called "Unexpectedly". Please check it out, particularly if you are a Sesshomaru fan.

Many thanks to :

**Night-Owl123**: you're welcome!

**Ryukotsusei**: glad you love it, thanks!

**Inu miko**: glad you like this.

**ToraTigera**: sigh sorry it took so long, I don't want to compromise with a crappy chappie (wow, a pun!)

**LightningShocked**: keeping it up! Meep!

**cynical chaos**: was that enough random chaos for ya? Thanks. And I'm still in awe over your EVA fic.

**Sesshy81**: thanks for your enthusiasm. And thanks, Sess, for the cookies... Wow! Paul Newman chocolate chip! Whoohaaaa!

**KiddySand Katie**: yeah, well, about you waiting so long for this... see, I kinda got sidetracked with some other fics... and... uhh, please don't kill Hiei...

Ja ne!

W.


	11. We're Off!

&&&&&&&

"We'll be back in three days."

Kurama had been in seclusion in Souta's room since lunch, working through various meditative techniques and making notes as he recalled the complete ritual and ceremony of youko–tsuukagirei to the best of his memory. The two of them needed to get somewhere cold and dark, with as much and then as little distractive noise as possible, as they needed to work through the experience of extreme sensory overload, then extreme sensory depravation. The higher elevations of Mt. Fuji were certainly cold enough, with a number of caves that should be adequate, and the waterfalls two-thirds of the way up that fed the grottoes and supplied the various rivers and streams would have to suffice. Using that site would be easier right now than traversing Spirit World for a suitable location. Fortunately, a new moon was a few days off, ensuring almost total darkness during the night.

'All right, then.'

The purpose of finding the ideal environment was to dull all of a fox's normally sharp physical senses, and then confuse his intellect, reducing his capacity until he was almost human. Then the acolyte would through trial and error seek out and find his inner fox spirit. Once he established connection and communication, he would learn to work with and guide it, as well as be guided by it, as there was no way to ever completely control it.

Next would come the purification rite, survival tests and "path-of-life" lectures given by Kurama, in effect now his "sempai", to force his maturation process. The stress on them both would be great, as this process could be extremely dangerous, but Kurama was committed to see this through to the end. He had explained to the others as much as he thought prudent of the risks involved. Indeed, Shippo could fail this ritual and as a consequence bring death upon himself as well as Kurama. Both would be quite vulnerable without access to their full youkai powers. The risks involved in not leading his "kohai" successfully through this quest had already been made evident to Kurama and the others, however, as accounts of the destruction at the mall were still headline news.

It was just past twilight as the gang had emerged from Mrs. Higurashi's mini-van as well as Keiko's car, and they all stood at the base of the great mountain. Looking up at its peak gave them a sense of its majesty as it pointed up and out into distant space. As it was after visitors hours, the entrance gates to the national park were closed to the public, but that was of no consequence to the two fox-youkai, who could get around virtually any type of human-based security they wanted to.

Kagome stepped up to the two young men who were about to leave.

"Kurama, I want to thank you so much for doing this. Shippo is very dear to my heart, and I want you to know just how much this means to me. I know you both will return safely."

Kagome's eyes were moist as she hugged first Kurama, then Shippo very tightly.

Kurama's voice was soft, reassuring.

"We'll be fine, Kagome."

InuYasha grumbled just a bit at that display, twisting his toe in the dirt. He could barely contain himself when Kouga put his hands on Kagome. He had been pestering her that they needed to get back to Sengoku Jidai, to Sango and Miroku, in order to try to find out Naraku's whereabouts after that last battle, but Kagome was adamant that they remain right here until Shippo returned safely. The recently matured kit bent down and warmly returned his "mother's" embrace.

"Aww, Kagome. Don't worry. Kurama's explained what we have to do and everything will be o.k., I'm sure. His mature voice still took some getting used to.

"Kurama, please be careful."

Botan was also a bit apprehensive as the elder fox had not been as forthcoming as he normally was regarding just what it was they were to encounter. He was also quite a bit more serious than she had observed recently, and that worried her. She understood that there were certain things he could reveal to them, yet there were many, many others that he could not. Kurama closed the distance between them and allowed her to wrap her arms around him, gently moving his hand in small circles around the spot between her shoulder blades, comforting her as she rested her head on his own shoulder.

"Please, Botan. Don't worry."

"Dude, you know what you mean to all of us..."

Yusuke added his own farewell. Keiko nodded, clutching onto her boyfriend more tightly than she was aware. She never handled goodbyes very well, and considering everything she'd been told, this would be no walk through the park.

"Thanks, Yusuke. If all goes according to plan, I expect we'll be quite famished when we return."

There would be no food during this trip, and very little water consumption.

"Don't even think about it." Mrs. Higurashi countered, smiling.

"We'll have a party celebrating your return. I'll make certain you boys fatten up nicely."

"I'll look forward to it, then." Kurama responded, returning her smile with one of his own.

"Yeah, me too!" Shippo agreed, visions of Mrs. Higurashi's tasty culinary creations filling his head.

"Hiei..."

Kurama turned lastly to his often volatile, quite intense partner and friend.

"Hnn."

Enough said.

With that, the two turned away from their companions and easily got to the other side of the fence without tripping any alarms in the process. Shippo turned back to them and gave the "thumbs up" sign, and the two continued until they turned a corner in the path and could no longer be seen.

When Shippo disappeared, Kagome couldn't contain herself and burst into tears, knowing all along how much she had grown to love the kit, yet never until this moment quite understanding that his leaving her could affect her this deeply.

"InuYasha..."

"Uhhh..!"

InuYasha was just a bit startled and confused as she buried her face in the rough cloth of his haori, clutching fistfuls of it. Knitting his brows as he looked down upon her sobbing shoulders, he embraced her tentatively, keenly aware that all eyes were on the two of them. He blushed his embarrassment at being seen publicly sharing such a tender moment with her, but his desire to comfort her was so much stronger than that, and his arms tightened around her, securing her.

Presently, the others approached the couple, and added their comforting voices and emotional succor to the raven-haired girl as well, fully understanding her relationship with the younger fox. Gritting his teeth, InuYasha could barely stand this kind of emotional overflow, but bore it for her, because she needed him.

Hiei was the only one who stood off to the side, not because he didn't care, but because his keen senses had picked up something else, and he bristled. He looked up at the mountain and ground his teeth.

'Something is not right.'

&&&&&&&

A/N: Yeah, I know... haven't updated this since February. I'm a baaaad boy. Oh well, I'm posting this mini-chap to see if there is still any interest left in this fic, or if I should just let it float off into the sunset and concentrate on my other stuff.

**Cynical Chaos**: Kurama will teach Shippo just what girls want in about two chapters from now. Thanks for reviewing.

**Sesshy81**: Gomen nesai for the wait. I, uhh... well anyway, Gomen!

**ShortPoet**: Yeah, Kagome's mom. Well, I think Sess appearing would cause her to go into maximum overload. She's such a sweet person that I'd never do that to her. I mean, she's already got the makings of a boy-band staying at her house and she's biting off her fingernails, the poor woman.

Boy-band. Hmm. Now if Hiei could get his fingers to reach the frets and learn basic chords...

**KittySand Katie**: Hiei might be the toughest to keep IC, because we never really know what he's thinking, right? Arritgatou!

**Ryukotsusei**: Hiei. Yes. When he's not in his element, not in control, he's very uncomfortable, imo. He'll be taking a more active role as things unfold. Gee, Hiei certainly has a lot of fans, doesn't he?

Next (?): Things don't go according to Kurama's plan as someone else has their own designs...


	12. He's So Confused!

&&&&&&&

They were a few thousand feet from the summit when Kurama set his backpack down. He observed their surroundings for a brief moment, then closed his eyes and felt for the spiritual energy of the place, tuning his internal senses and waiting for Gaia, the spirit of the Earth, to give him the confirmation he sought. There were few places in the ningen world that had enough raw yang spiritual energy for the purification ritual, and most of those other places had attracted enough of the opposite, yin energy that they were now the loci of eternal conflict as both kinds of energy sought dominance within that material space. That was not true here. Few humans cared to live at this elevation; the rarified air would make it difficult for them to remain here for more than a few days, at most.

Kurama inhaled slowly as he went deeper and deeper within his human consciousness until he reached the bridge between his mortal manifestation and his root Fox entity; this was indeed a meditation in itself, and soon he felt it. At first it was but a whisper, then, the density of the vibration increased, and at last he could feel the great energy wave as it peaked, the heartbeat of the earth itself.

Not knowing what to make of his mentor's actions, Shippo took a deep breath and closed his own eyes as he mimicked Kurama.

'I'm not sure what he's doing, but what the heck…'

Presently, Kurama gave a sigh and opened his eyes, satisfied that his inner youkai had gotten the information it needed and returned to him that which he desired. Upon hearing his mentor exhale, Shippo sighed as well, then opened his eyes to look first at Kurama, then up at a screeching night-hawk that had just captured his attention. Nightfall had cast its cloak across the eastern horizon, and there the stars winked down at them through the crystal-clear onyx sky. They could still see the dwindling band of daylight to the south, however, that remaining light slowly bidding them its farewell as it receded to the west. They had climbed about four thousand feet up the eastern face of Mt. Fuji.

"Hey, look at that!" Shippo exclaimed, pointing due north.

A brilliant white meteor flared across the sky, before disappearing from sight.

"Yes, it is quite lovely."

Kurama watched the steam from his breath rise up before it evaporated into the crisp, cold air. The temperature was dropping, and it would get even colder before dawn broke. A gust of wind took a pile of fallen leaves and turned them into natural marionettes as they danced first one way, then another before the brisk vortex turned them into a mini-tornado. Shippo rubbed his arms with his hands, which he then wrapped about himself.

"I'm cold. In my pure fox form, I'd have fur, but I don't remember how to change. I concentrated real hard before, when I was back in Kagome's room the other night, and that's how I was able to turn back into my human form. The other way around, though…"

Shippo's voice trailed off as he looked down at his feet, somewhat saddened and embarrassed that, although a full demon, he still had little control over much of his power. Kurama paused for a moment, and tilted his head as he looked upon his charge, before putting a hand on the younger kit's shoulder.

"That's why we're here, Shippo. I'll teach you all I can before we summon your root entity. I'm sure you'll be successful."

Shippo then looked up from his study of his hiking boots and swallowed audibly, fighting with everything he had to not tear up, honest gratitude expressing itself on his face.

"Thanks, Kurama."

It was all that he could say, as he tried his best to be mature, to choke down his emotions. With his mother and father gone, he had been all alone in Sengoku-Jidai, and now, the same was nearly true in this world. Except for Kagome, who loved him to no end, there wasn't really anyone else. Certainly Sango cared for him, but she was consumed over her own blood brother, Kohaku, with whom she sought to reunite. The power of that sibling bond between them made her relentless in her efforts to find him, and to then make him whole once more. Shippo had often, silently, observed that look of hopeful distraction as the taijiya thought about Kohaku, and what it would mean for the both of them when her brother was finally returned to her. Shippo couldn't help but wonder if anyone would ever feel for him with that kind of intensity.

Miroku, and even InuYasha had looked after the kit from time to time, but it still wasn't the same as a relationship with a blood relative. He never expected anyone else to take as much of an interest in his welfare as Kurama had. Before his death at the hands of Hiten and Manten, Shippo's father had done as much as he could to prepare his son for life on his own, and he had hoped he would have more time to teach his Shippo the ways of the Fox. The attack by the Thunder Brothers was completely unexpected, and with his last breath, he had used his fox magic to save his son's life. Shippo hadn't remembered very much about his mother, whom his father told him had died shortly after he had been weaned. Sadly, he was the only pup to survive from that litter. After what Yusuke revealed to him about the battle at the mall, he had assumed that the Kurama would, as his erstwhile enemy, have little or nothing more to do with him, but he was wrong.

Kurama had taken to binding his shoulder-length hair into one thick crimson braid, in preparation for turning in for the night. He smiled at his young charge, who, again following his mentor's actions, began to tie his own braids into a knot at the nape of his neck, in order to keep them from flailing about. He thought then that he should probably ask Mrs. H. to take the braids out, but as he pondered upon it a bit more, he figured perhaps that wouldn't be such a good idea. Kagome's mom had been very kind and attentive to him, but…

Kurama's soft voice interrupted his train of thought.

"No need to thank me. Except in matters of competition over territory, or for a mate, Foxes must always show solidarity towards one another. It's almost comical, when you think about it. You're like my brother, in a sense, until we have to compete. Then, it's with everything we have, because our lineage _must_ be perpetuated, by not only the strongest, but also the ones most capable of using their intelligence and craft. The very fate of our race depends upon this."

Kurama observed Shippo's look of open-mouthed wonder at that statement, and, reminding himself of the kit's true level of emotional maturity, considered that he might be giving the young fox too much information, too soon. He decided to change the course of the conversation.

"But that's a discussion for later. In any event, this place has a good vibration to it, and everything we need is within a few hundred meters. We'll settle down here for the night. We've covered about three kilometers, and it's late, and we've got to be up before dawn, as one of the ceremonies takes place during the rising sun."

"O.k."

"And, I'll take that bento box now, thank you."

"Hunh?"

Kurama had completed binding his hair and tossed the thick braid forward over his shoulder. He folded his arms across his chest as he raised an eyebrow.

"The box you've hidden in your pack. Did you think I wouldn't be able to smell it?"

Shippo blinked when he could not hold Kurama's gaze, and so looked down as he shifted from one foot to the other, his face reddened at being caught.

"Well, I… that is… I mean… Mrs. H… oops!"

The last thing he wanted to do was implicate the woman who had been so kind and attentive to him. Why, she took better care of him than Kagome did, if that was at all possible. Mrs. Higurashi had indeed slipped the box of food to the young fox with a wink and a nod toward the then distracted Kurama. Then she put one finger to her lips as Shippo nodded in silent agreement. Whatever it was that she had prepared smelled awfully good, and Shippo had actually been counting the minutes until he could dig into it. Now remembering Kurama's short lecture about not eating until they returned, he blushed in embarrassment as he reached into his pack and then handed over the contraband to the elder fox. There was a slight tug-of-war as Shuiichi grasped the box, then raised his brows in surprise as the younger kit at first would not let it go.

"Shippo…"

"But I'm hungry…"

"Shippo…"

The younger fox reluctantly released the box, and then groaned as his stomach began to growl its displeasure. Kurama gave him an understanding look before explaining.

"I'm sorry, but as I said pointed out before, there can be no food in your gastro-intestinal system when the ritual begins or you could harm your human body irreparably. That is why we must fast. There will be some discomfort, but it can't be helped. If it's any consolation, I'll be fasting also, and we can commiserate later. There will be plenty of time to eat after the ceremony has been completed."

'Or not…'

Kurama thought to himself, remembering the ferocity with which Shippo's youkai had fought. He again reminded himself of the risks involved, and that there was a chance, albeit slim, that perhaps only one of them, or even worse, neither of them, would be returning to their friends.

Kurama tucked the box safely away, then both hikers unfurled their sleeping bags. Kurama settled into his, but Shippo turned once again and looked about the darkening surroundings. In spite of what he had found out about the details of the fight between their youkai, he knew that he liked Kurama, and was grateful that they were in this together, but right now, he really missed Kagome, and his heart just then throbbed as it spoke to him of its longing for her.

It was so much harder being grown up than he imagined. He remembered how, back in Sengoku Jidai, he had thought that he was so smart, pretty much having an answer or comment to everything anyone said. He realized now that it was mostly childish puffery, and he had been able to get away with much of it because the others understood him, and what he had been through at so young an age, but mostly because it was Kagome who protected him, who looked after him, who loved him. He _so_ wished she was here right now. Then he could lose himself within her warm embrace. The memory of her, of how things had been back in the past came to him with unexpected force, and he took a deep breath as he had to fight the urge to cry, especially in front of Kurama. When Kagome held him in her arms, within her soft bosom, she radiated the same deep feelings as had his mother, those of comfort, warmth, protection and love.

If InuYasha hadn't appeared in this present time, that is exactly what Shippo felt he would have gotten, should have gotten. It was so frustrating. Just this afternoon, as he and Kurama prepared for their journey, Shippo had been feeling out-of-sorts, and, still overwhelmed by everything that had happened in such a short time frame, had sought out the young miko.

"Umm, Kagome, could you, umm, give me a hug, please..?"

He almost whispered. Without even a skipped beat, Kagome responded instinctively.

"Why, of course, Shippo."

Kagome thought that she had by now gotten used to the "new" Shippo, but when he, perhaps with a bit more urgency and emotion than usual, put his arms around her, her breath hitched, her face blushed a deep pink, and she began to get woozy once more. The eagle-eyed hanyou, who was never very far from her and who had thus far observed everything, had then leaped forward to separate the two even as he growled his apprehension. Why, he had even revealed his fangs to the kit. Shippo had backed away in confusion as InuYasha looked very frightening then, almost like he did when his demon blood took over!

Thankfully, Kagome, being the very sensitive and empathetic soul she was (well, for the most part), had immediately recognized what was transpiring between a mature (well, for the most part) male hanyou who had established, in his mind at least, certain claims on her, and another, who, although he possessed the appearance of a full-grown fox, still remained psychologically immature. What Shippo didn't know just yet was that along with other changes to his body, his blood and sweat had been altered, and InuYasha, who could detect those changes through his acute sense of smell, had now become very wary about letting Shippo even touch Kagome.

The young miko had sensed and interpreted InuYasha's thinly hidden fear and agitation, and quickly grasped one sleeve of his haori, turning him to face her as she fitted herself into his embrace. She ran her fingers through his fine white mane as she cooed softly.

"InuYasha..."

She spoke only his name, but it was enough. Within that solitary utterance, within the tone, timbre, the almost bashful whisper of it, was everything he had ever wanted.

The reaffirmed promise between the two of them struck a chord within him. He found his solace deep within that promise, and soon came back to himself. They had danced around each other for some time now as they sorted out exactly what they really meant to one another, and it was so difficult, with blood and death surrounding, defining their lives on an almost daily basis, to express what had been growing, building, becoming more and more alive between them. Beneath the surface of the often embarrassing and sometimes exhausting confusion, beneath what sometimes emerged as situational misunderstanding, it stood waiting for them. They had each been able to get past those little episodes that now seemed so silly and immature in retrospect, with their unspoken commitment toward one another stronger than ever. That simmering emotion beneath it all, that "thing" that sustained them thus far remained silently, powerfully intact.

'One day, soon, I'm going to express my love for you directly, verbally, because I want you to hear it as well as see and feel it. Then you will know for certain the full spectrum of my feeling for you. Until then, please accept this as all that I am able to give to you now. But know this...

I love you.

Deeply.

Now is not the time nor is this the place, but once we put that menace to rest for good…'

"Kagome..."

He breathed as he nuzzled her ear, feeling first relief, then the power of their shared emotion. It practically radiated from her.

They both knew instinctively that they would eventually work everything out, and be there for each other, once the jewel was whole again. Until then, each would bear with those foibles that bred fear and uncertainty, because in the end, all they had to do was look into each other's eyes, to hold each other, and for now that would be enough. That would be enough to confirm that their unspoken promise remained intact, their silent agreement, flawless. He held her then so gently, as though she was made of the most delicate of porcelain, and he could break her with his demon strength, if he was careless. He inhaled her scent, and, satisfied that none of the young kit's musk had contaminated her, diminished his growling and snarling to a low rumble as he calmed down. He didn't even care anymore that anyone who cared could see them. He didn't care. _He alone_ would claim her, completely, when that time arrived.

_He alone._

Within their embrace, she moved her hands in small circles about his back as she calmed him down, now feeling his heartbeat normalize. She pulled back slightly, until she could look into those golden eyes that always took her breath away.

&&&&&&&

In his confusion over everything else that had happened to him, and in his current state of physical development, Shippo remained clueless as to the responses he was creating in the women he encountered, as well as the protective counter-responses in some of the men. They all knew that until Kurama could help him establish a connection to his inner-youkai, that now-submerged beast could take the young fox over at its whim, and, as was true the last time that had happened, Shippo wouldn't remember anything that had occurred.

First the girls, and now the guys all acted strangely when he got too near to the females, and he simply didn't understand any of it at all. Only Hiei hadn't changed his demeanor, as it appeared he had no real interest in any of the girls. His knitted brow and thinly disguised smirk at the comical nature of the goings-on (well, when he wasn't gnashing his teeth over Sota being his living shadow) was one more thing the young fox found puzzling. Well, that is, until the koorime approached him earlier that very evening.

"Fox child..."

"Hunh? You mean me?"

"Yes, you."

"What is it?"

"You do know how lethal I am, and how many oni I've put out of their misery, don't you?"

"Uhh... I guess so?"

"Good. I don't care about the other females. O.k., well I do to some degree, but if you even glance at Mrs. Higurashi with so much as a..."

Hiei then looked about to make certain no one could hear their conversation. Absent-mindedly, and almost wistfully, he rubbed the cheek Kagome's mom had pinched. For just a moment, he forgot that he was threatening Shippo with bodily harm. Shippo then tilted his head into Hiei's line of sight.

"Hey, are you o.k?"

Hiei coughed, then blinked before pulling himself up to his full height, which was still only to Shippo's chin.

"Hnn. Just mark my words, fox child."

With that, the koorime turned on his heel and marched off. Sota was right behind the fire demon as he left, but turned to wag a finger at Shippo in mock admonishment. Shippo just shrugged.

&&&&&&&

When Shippo met Keiko for the first time after the mall disaster, Yusuke made certain he was present, and had deftly positioned himself between the two of them. He had kept her behind him the entire time, causing Keiko to have to talk to the young fox over the spirit-detective's shoulder. Keiko had bopped Yusuke on the head a few times, and had tried to move around him to speak to Shippo directly, but the reiki-tantei was just not going to let that happen. She had tried once more to step around him, but he continued to shield her, and it looked almost like they were doing some sort of odd dance, he with his back to her.

"Yusuke, you're acting quite silly. Exactly what are you _doing_?"

"Listen, Keiko. I don't care what it looks like. Kurama said… I mean, ahh, well, just pretend there's this dangerous barrier that you can't see, because you're human, but I can, because I'm... you know... and, uhh… well anyway, can you _please_ just humor me?"

Among her many other fine qualities, Keiko was quite intuitive. Within a few seconds of reading his body language, feeling the tension in his shoulders, plus the fact that an obscure part of her brain subconsciously processed the change in the smell of his sweat, it dawned on her that Yusuke's behavior was that of someone actually jealous. Keiko blinked at the realization then, and looked at the kit from over Yusuke's shoulder once more. Jealous of Shippo? He was indeed quite, well, _foxy_, but shouldn't Yusuke know by now that _he_ was the one she had risked her life for, on more than one occasion? Didn't he realize that… that...

Wait a minute!

Did he really..?

Keiko felt a swelling from deep within her chest then, and became a bit warm with blush as well as slightly breathy as the realization hit her full on. Yusuke, who was indeed the love of her life, but who was so hard to read sometimes, the same Yusuke she often wanted to kill with her bare hands, had just... had just...

He really…

She didn't care _how_ he revealed his feelings for her; it was only important that he had. So what if it was in the awkward, clumsy manner she had just witnessed. Overwhelmed, she glomped ontoYusuke from behind, then, hooking her chin over his shoulder, she whispered into his ear.

"Yusuke… I... I'm... I can't..."

With one eye fixed on Shippo, Yusuke, still not quite sure what was happening with Keiko, grasped her hands with one of his own. His message to Shippo was crystal clear, if unspoken. He glared almost menacingly.

'Keiko is mine, got it?'

The poor kit scratched his head, then. Were all humans this hard to read? Perhaps he had been spoiled being around Miroku and Sango and Kagome for so long; he knew them almost as well as he knew himself, but these other humans… There were so many things he needed to learn since he had come to the modern era.

&&&&&&&

Shippo came back to the present moment then, jerking his head to the left as he thought he heard rustling in the underbrush a few meters away. An owl then sounded to his right, from about fifteen meters away. He swallowed audibly, then turned to the elder fox, who had by now ensconced himself within his sleeping bag, and was observing him with not a small bit of mirth. Shippo blinked.

"Umm, aren't we going to start a fire or something? What about wild animals?"

It was difficult, but Kurama once again contained his laughter as he observed the younger kit's apprehension.

"I'm sorry. I was so intent on reaching a suitable location before nightfall, and I should have told you. This is the first part of the test. We must heighten your sense of awareness. Whether here, in Sengoku-Jidai, or Demon world, and in whatever form you take, you must learn to extend your senses to protect yourself. You must ultimately be able to sense whether an approaching demon is friend or foe, and relatively stronger or weaker than yourself, so you can take appropriate action."

"Appropriate action?"

"Fight or flight."

Shippo considered what the elder kitsune said for a moment.

"Oh, so we'll be in darkness…"

"Only until morning, so as you feel yourself falling asleep, try to focus on anything your senses can pick up. Try to keep your awareness on your surroundings even with your eyes closed."

"I'll try."

Shippo pondered a few moments more.

"So, umm, what you're talkin' about is kinda like Miroku's ability to sense demonic auras…"

"Well, I don't know this Miroku, but it is something like that."

The young kit lost his original train of thought as they finally hit upon something he knew and could comment upon, namely, his friend the monk, and this gave him an opportunity to chat for a bit. It was something to take his mind off the cold, darkening surroundings. He unzipped his bag and slid into it, before zipping it back. His body heat suffused the bag's interior, and he began to warm up. This was so much better. He continued.

"Well, Miroku is really something. He's a nice guy and all, but he chases down women like you wouldn't believe. And he wants to have babies with all of them."

"Oh? Is he another kitsune?"

"No, he's just a human."

"Well then, he sounds like an interesting fellow. I'd like to meet this Miroku some day."

Shippo opened his mouth to continue, then stopped abruptly and shuddered as that same owl descended right in front of him and struck at its prey, a squirrel that had been foraging nearby. Powerful wings beat in unison as the talons grasped its dinner, the great bird then lifting off into the night.

"Kurama?"

"Yes, Shippo?"

"Can you talk to me, until, you know, I fall asleep?"

"All right. What do you want to talk about?"

"Food. I'm _so_ hungry."

"That might not be a good idea…"

"I know, but if I get an image in my mind, maybe I can fool my stomach for a while."

"All right, then. What kind of food is your favorite?"

"Well, Lady Kaede's stew is always really good, and Kagome brings me back all kinds of neat snacks from… umm, well I guess we're in the future now, so… from this time."

He thought for a moment.

"But Mrs. Higurashi made us some su… sush… sushimi, yeah, that's it... and it was the most delicious thing I've ever tasted."

"I see..."

Shippo visualized for a while, then yawned, satisfied that he had fed his imaginary self.

"Say, Kurama?"

"Yes, Shippo?"

"Since I've changed, I've noticed that girls act kinda strange around me."

His fox mind, ever impulsive, leapt from one topic to another, seamlessly.

"How so?"

Kurama wanted to explore this a bit more, since Shippo still had no memory of the time of his transformation into Youko-Shippo.

"Well, they kinda give me strange looks, or they try to touch me, or they'll have drool running down their chins, or they'll turn pink or get all swirly-eyed. And their scent changes, now that I think about it. It's so weird."

He hadn't remembered the "Youko-Shippo" episode, but everything before that was coming back to him, and he was slowly making the connections. Shippo yawned again. The climb had taken its toll.

It was almost pitch-black, so they couldn't see each other. Kurama grinned to himself and again stifled a laugh. He was amazed that he could be in such a breezy mood considering what they could encounter during the ritual. In any event, he was planning that they have just this conversation tomorrow, and it _was_ a bit comical that Shippo would bring it up now.

"Weird, eh?"

"Yeah."

Kurama gave Shippo more time to ponder over his thoughts then, and in the silence that followed, continued to calculate the odds of their survival on the morrow.

"Kurama?" Shippo yawned once again. Sleep was finally catching up to him.

"Yes, Shippo?"

"I thought I knew a lot of things, and, maybe I did, but... I feel so stupid now."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, what _is_ it that girls want?"

"Ah, but that is the question, isn't it?"

Kurama was about to continue, but Shippo's snoring broke through the silence.

**&&&&&&&**

A/N: Hi there! Gomen about the wait...

Anyway, Gaia comes from that Final Fantasy movie ("The Spirits Within"). Kurama's braid is like Edward Elric's from FMA, except it's red, of course. When Hiei calls Shippo "fox child", think Asuka from NGE, speaking to Shinji (third child!) in that condescending manner of hers.

To my reviewers:

Oshan: As Spongebob once said... I... am... a man! Thanks for the review! It was very creative.

Selene Crescent: At last! I have updated this remarkable (aww, shucks...) story. Thank you, and I hope this chapter meets with your approval.

Sesshy81: Here is the update. And for you and other fans of longer chapters, this chapter is... longer! Once again, "inner-youkai" is a concept borrowed from her wonderful fics. And Amarra wants to know when she'll be seeing some more action! (another inside joke, you'll have to read her fic, Unexpectedly, to figure it out...)

silver starlight kitsune: Thank you!

KittySand Katie: This is perhaps (hopefully) a bit more than a transition chapter, although there will be plenty of action next chap as the (dun dun dun...) "unknown threat" reveals itself (Hiei is just too cool, ne?). Those into Yu/Keiko pairings please check out her fine work on this site.

Cynical Chaos: They're youkai, elemental forces of this planet, so there will be more destruction, of course. On the other hand, it's Shippo, and he's so kawaii in his youthful state, so he's got to come through everything all right... right? And anyway, would Kurama let anything happen to him? After all, he promised Kagome... right?

Short Poet: Yeah, well... this happened, and then that happened, and so on, and so on... I didn't establish a Ku/Bo relationship at this point, since Shippo is the central character, but perhaps if I go back and re-edit the story one day... Anyway, the whole new moon thing and InuYasha reverting to his human form never occurred to me. Thanks, and I think I'll use that as a plot device when (dun dun dun...) "unknown threat" reveals itself (Hiei is just too cool, ne? - oops, I said that already). As you can tell, I'm having all sorts of fun with Kagome's mom.

Taedere-Belletrist: Thanks for putting this fic in your Amaranth C2!


	13. Fox Hunting!

&&&&&&&

Ensconced within the warmth of the sleeping bag, secure in the knowledge that his senpai was but a few feet away, Shippo dreamt. He had tried Kurama's technique of utilizing his kitsune awareness to sense beyond his immediate surroundings, but he could sustain that only a short while, and had soon fallen asleep. He dreamt about the days back in Sengoku-Jidai, where he and his comrades fought injury, illness and death, often through heartache and tears, yet sometimes with laughter. It had always been important to him that the others see him as an integral part of their team, an able contributor, and not a burden, a child who had to be constantly looked after.

He was, in his mind, an equal, one who fought malevolent demons with as much dedication as any of the others. He was much more than simply Kagome's surrogate pup. And he was a full-demon, as he would often remind InuYasha whenever they argued over some silly thing or other.

When it suited him, however, when he was frightened or lonely, or he just needed to feel her warmth, then he was all too happy for her to sense his anxiety, and act as his surrogate mom. Then, she could stroke and coo at him as much as she wanted. His most favorite time was in the evenings, after supper and before bed time, when she would call him over to sit on her lap. As she held him securely against her heart, her soft, warm bosom comforting him, she would massage the little pads of his feet, and then brush his hair and his tail to remove any burrs he might have picked up during the day. Thank goodness he was a fox, and not a cat, or he would have purred; it felt so good. At that time, he could let go any fear, any upset, any frustration, and lose himself in her embrace.

His memories of his own mother had diminished until they were almost non-existent. He had cried to Kagome one night, when he realized that try as he might, he could barely remember her, what she had looked like, and that had hurt because he was so afraid that he would forget her completely. And he never, ever wanted for that to happen. The young miko had stopped what she was doing at the time, preparing new arrows for her quiver, and then spent almost half the night consoling him.

_Kagome._

He had come to love her so much…

"Kagome…" He muttered, deep in sleep.

He wished that she could… if she could just hold him, for perhaps a moment or two...

He wouldn't hurt her, ever.

That Inuyasha. Why was he so… so..?

Slowly, his eyes opened. He had sensed movement, or something else, and awakened. Normally, he would have fretted about sleeping alone in the outdoors without Kagome nearby, but he trusted Kurama, knowing he would be safe.

After all, Kurama had promised Kagome, hadn't he?

Now, as daylight loomed, he looked over at Kurama's bag, and… it was empty! Shippo shot upright, his heart pounding, and just stopped himself short from yelling out Kurama's name. Calming himself somewhat, he closed his eyes and extended his senses in all directions until… there! The older kitsune was about thirty meters away from him, just to his east-southeast. Shippo gasped. How did he know that? It wasn't something he could have done before. Was he changing as a result of the rite of passage even now?

Getting out of his bag, he zipped and rolled it up before heading off in the direction his senses told him he'd find his mentor. After a bit, he did find him, standing at the edge of a clearing, watching the horizon as the dawn drew near in a glorious display of vibrant color.

"Kurama?"

The elder kitsune turned to face his charge.

"Ah, you are awake. Good. It's nearly time to begin."

He turned to look at the peaceful scene in front of him once more.

"Today is a good day…"

He then picked up his pack and led Shippo to a pathway, down to an area beyond which a small waterfall emerged. Shippo had smelled the water for some time, and was surprised to see the nature of its source.

"There are three stages. First, sensory inundation. Then, sensory deprivation. Finally, you will seek out and merge with your root entity, thereby claiming your true power."

They worked their way down to the waterfall, moving over a shallow pathway that led to a small cave directly behind the falling water.

"What happens here?" Shippo asked.

"We'll sit for a while under the water, to cleanse ourselves physically, and also, to allow you to eliminate the external influences from your meditative state.

"So… it's almost like Buddhist training."

"Well, truth be told, the Buddhists got it from the Foxes, many hundreds of years ago. It has proven effective as a technique over the ages. Let us proceed."

With that, Kurama took some large towels from his pack, borrowed from Kagome's mom.

"We'll use these to dry off after the first part of the test. We'll place our clothing in these plastic bags."

"You mean, we have to be naked?"

"Not entirely. You could revert to your base fox form at any time during the test, and that would be… inconvenient, to say the least, if you were fully clothed."

Kurama then removed his clothing, placing it in one of the bags before pulling the drawstring. Shippo followed suit, handing his bundle to his elder before turning away with an embarrassing blush. His mentor was such a composed, almost elegant individual, that Shippo wouldn't have thought Kurama could possess the powerful build that he displayed. The older fox was tall and lean, with well-defined musculature in his arms, chest and legs. And, because men _always_ compare when in the proximity of other men, he was stunned, to say the least, that Kurama could boast quite proudly, were he inclined to do so, of his superiority in that_ other_ department as well.

Kurama chuckled at Shippo's bashfulness before reaching out and placing a hand on his shoulder. The younger kit flinched at the touch.

"Shippo, you are almost a man, now. As such, you should regard your masculinity with pride. In ages past, before socialization of the current culture established and embedded certain mores, we went naked. We hunted naked, for prey, and… well… for women also. Understand?"

"I… I think so."

Shippo slowly turned about to face his senpai, nodding in agreement. He couldn't stop his blush, however.

"Having said all that, I have something for you."

Kurama knelt and pulled what appeared to be a slingshot from his pack and then handed it to the younger fox, who examined it before knitting his brows in confusion.

"You will use this to secure your manhood, so that you may move freely about without discomfort. It will also offer some measure of protection…"

"O… o.k…"

Shippo looked on as Kurama retrieved an identical pouch and secured himself within it, before tying and knotting the ends about his waist. Shippo then repeated the process, before looking up at his senpai.

"Very good. Now you're ready. Let us continue."

Kurama then revealed his upper left canine, and used it to puncture his thumb, drawing blood. Then, he used his thumb to mark two vertical lines on Shippo's left cheek, two wavy lines on his right cheek, and a spiral upon his forehead.

"You must now do the same."

Shippo complied, and then the foxes clasped hands as two pair of green eyes locked onto each other. Shippo repeated after his teacher.

"_My brother Kitsune…"_

"My brother Kitsune…"

"_As we begin this ritual…"_

"As we begin this ritual…"

"_I promise to protect you…"_

"I promise to protect you…"

"_Against the dangers we will soon encounter…"_

"Against the dangers we will soon encounter…"

"_Until we pass through this test together…"_

"Until we pass through this test together…"

"_No matter the outcome…"_

"No matter the outcome…"

"_Upon my blood-mark, this I swear."_

"Upon my blood-mark, this I swear."

&&&&&&&

InuYasha waited until he was outside, and observed the beautiful dawn in solitude before he sniffed the air about him, separating the thousands of scents before he locked onto something he was not quite prepared to discover.

"You sense it as well?"

"Gnh!"

The surprised hanyou turned to find the fire apparition right next to him. InuYasha shook off his alarm and answered the koorime in a subdued voice.

"Yeah. And it's not one, but two of them."

"You are correct. They are moving, and… it seems that they are in an "altered" state."

"You got that right. Do you think Kurama is aware of the situation?"

"Trust me. Kurama knows when he's being stalked. The problem is the fox child. If he knows not how to defend himself, then…"

InuYasha cracked his knuckles, itching for some action.

"Damn it. If anything happens to Shippo, then Kagome…"

"But there is little we can do at this point beyond waiting. This is a sacred ceremony. We are forbidden to interfere."

"But they're gonna be ambushed…" InuYasha growled.

"Yes."

Hiei fingered his katana as he ground his teeth.

"Yes, they are…"

&&&&&&&

The fox-youkai next made their way next to the falling water, and Kurama gave his instructions, almost yelling now over the cascading wall of sound.

"The sun is just about to break the horizon. We'll sit in the lotus position for a while as you adjust to the temperature and pressure of the water falling upon you. When the sun rises, turn to face it with your eyes still closed, and keep that position until I give you the signal to open your eyes."

"Gah! It's cold!" Shippo flinched as the icy water cascaded over his body. Teeth chattering, he eventually settled himself into the lotus position, then closed his eyes and began to chant the mantra Kurama had given to him.

Kurama settled himself next to his charge, also flinching at the shock of the cold water against his skin. He then began his own, different mantra. Presently the sun broke over the edge of the earth. Kurama tapped Shippo on the shoulder, and that one opened his eyes. Through the falling water, the brilliant rays created a rainbow effect that was dazzling, and nearly blinding.

_The intensity._

For a moment, it seemed to Shippo that he was drowning in sensory overload.

He started to panic, sucking in large gulps of air, as well as water, as he hyperventilated. He coughed and sputtered. Kurama moved from his seated position until he was behind the young kit, steadying him, positioning his head and shoulders in a way that he could breathe air and not water.

When he was satisfied that Shippo had steadied himself, Kurama resumed his position next to his charge.

Shippo continued his mantra, and soon he experienced the sensation of the world pulling away from him as the light, sound and feel of the physical world receded until he was in complete darkness and tranquility.

"We're now at the second part of the ceremony."

Shippo gasped at the fact that although he could not see him, he could clearly hear Kurama.

"All right now, concentrate your attention on the sound of my voice.

That was easy, as Kurama had such a smooth, soothing voice. Kurama began to count backwards from one hundred, the count interspersed with specific instructions on focus and visualization, guiding the younger fox on his meditative voyage. Soon Shippo emerged from the darkness within his mind, and found himself in a desert setting, wind blowing hot air all about. There was nothing except for shifting sands as far as the eye could see. He started to become a bit fearful, when the air about two meters to his left began to shimmer, and, as though witness to a mirage, the image of his mentor began to materialize, also shimmering in its wavy state.

"Kurama-senpai!"

"Congratulations, Shippo, on having made it thus far."

"Where are we?"

"We're deep in your unconscious level of awareness."

"In… the desert?"

"Your physical human body did not like the cold, which is odd, since your weapon of choice when in your youko state is ice. But you created this level of surrounding, so we'll go with it."

Kurama sensed the entity moving on them.

"And here it comes…"

&&&&&&&

The battle was fierce, and protracted, but Shippo remembered his instruction, and, although completely exhausted as a result of the energy expended, and the crafty nature of his opponent during the battle, he emerged victorious, finally invoking the incantation that bound the entity before making the mark upon his chest that sealed it at last.

Kurama breathed a sigh of relief that they had both survived intact.

"Well done, Shippo!"

Shippo gave a grin at his master's apparition, then bragged.

"Piece of cake…"

&&&&&&&

"Shippo, how do you feel?"

The boys had returned to the physical world, and emerged from the cave in decidedly weakened condition. Shippo had expended a tremendous amount of energy in the process, and Kurama had as well, protecting his charge throughout the contest.

"I'm a little woozy, but…"

Shippo then gasped, as he could distinctly feel his inner fox moving about, but it was now contained, and the young fox could feel his new-found power over that containment. He exercised that power, willing the boundaries to shrink slightly, causing the inner demon to settle down somewhat, as it began to fear that he might crush it completely. It tried now to cajole, to get what it wanted.

_Master, please allow me freedom, so that I may do your bidding…_

_No. you must always remember that I am your equal now, and that we will work together from now on._

_Yes, master! By your command._

His youkai ceased struggling at that point, and Shippo felt at peace for the first time in a very long time. He turned to Kurama, willing himself to hold back tears of gratitude.

"Kurama… _onii-san_…"

"Yes?"

Kurama smiled at his kohai, and then placed his hands upon that one's shoulders. Shippo, overcome with emotion, almost stuttered.

"Thank you… I… I don't know what else…"

"You don't need to say anything else. I'm here for you, remember? We're here for each other, now."

With that, he pulled his younger "brother" into an embrace.

&&&&&&&

"Well now, isn't that just too _kawaii_? Two blood brothers, doing the male-bonding thing like that. If I wasn't so… bothered, I think I'd actually shed a tear, it's just so poignant…"

The first female voice was slightly husky, but silky smooth. She and her partner observed events from their hiding place behind a rock formation fifty meters away, far enough downwind that their scents could not be easily detected by the boys, given their decidedly weakened state. In her proto-human form, she was beyond attractive, literally stunning to look at. Her agitation had her distractedly combing through the ends of her waist-length black hair. Red eyes sparkled at the sight before them. Her partner shrugged her shoulders, then responded.

"I don't know… it's just a tad _yaoi_ for me, what with two hot, nearly naked bishounen, glomping each other, instead of… well, me. But hey, if that's what the fangirls want…"

The second female voice had a slightly higher pitch, but there was also a throaty rumble that could barely be contained. A red-haired, green-eyed beauty, this one stood half a head taller than her partner.

"The fangirls can choke on my tail, Haiya. _I_ want Kurama, and I'm… I'm gonna get him. We've stalked these two successfully for three days, ever since that pup appeared out of nowhere, and now... Kurama... that gorgeous piece of man-candy is right here, in a decidedly weakened state, nearly within my grasp. Kami… just look at those… those marvelous glutes." She panted.

"I just hope I don't rip them to shreds with my claws when I… when we…"

The older fox demoness raised an eyebrow at her partner, who once again growled her desire as she mused. Haiya then chuckled.

"Estrus getting the better of you, eh, Mishita? I can only imagine what your pups with him would look like. But don't worry, he's all yours. Heh, listen to me, the pot calling out the kettle…"

Haiya's own eyes glazed slightly, her tail twitching almost out of her control.

"That other one, the young cupcake with the orange frosting, now that's more to _my_ taste, and my sweet tooth is aching right about now. There are a quite few special subjects that I believe he needs tutoring in, and I certainly volunteer to be that tutor..."

She then sighed heavily as visions of their "tutoring sessions" became even more physical and quite audible and colorful in her mind's eye.

"Why Haiya, you're old enough to be his mo… ahh, _older sister_…"

Haiya's fantasy was broken for a brief moment as she glared at her partner, green eyes flashing as flecks of red appeared within.

"Watch yourself, _bitch_. I won't take that from you, or anybody." Haiya snorted. Mishita retorted, as their combined agitation temporarily got the better of them.

"That's _vixen_, to you. I'm not a dog…."

Mishita said the next part under her breath.

"…_minx_…"

"What was that..?"

Mishita backed off, raising her hands in apology, after realizing she had crossed the line in invoking the older girl's wrath. Haiya eyed her partner warily, but then calmed down considerably when she saw the boys gathering their things as they prepared to leave. As if he sensed something, Shippo stood and turned in their direction, giving them both a good sense of his sinewy, chiseled physique. Haiya swallowed audibly as she burned his handsome features into her memory.

"Not an ounce of body-fat. It's true, he's still just a baby… but… I can't help it. When I get my paws on him…"

Haiya then revealed her fangs as her imagination got the better of her once more, now panting as a sliver of drool formed at the corner of her mouth. A supple, elastic tongue lashed out, retrieving the moisture before she audibly smacked her lips.

"…I'm… I'm gonna eat him alive…"

**&&&&&&&**

It's been over a year! Yikes! Sorry about that. Ahem...

There is a bit more smoke here, because of the heat, hence the rating upgrade.

And where there's smoke…

Anyway, I plan to make the end of Shippo's encounter with his entity more detailed, perhaps when this fic is completed. I think there are perhaps two more chapters to go.

Thank you, KittieSand Katie, ShortPoet, Cynical Chaos, miranda, SnowBlizzard, Oribe Junpei, Natsumi Tsuchi-Ookami, dizaznkid. Your comments always make this worthwhile.

W.


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